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TRAVEL    LOVERS'    LIBRARY 

* 

it0   (HxtXtB 

BY 

GRANT    ALLEN 

Author  of 

"Paris,"  "Venice,"  "Florence,"  "Cities  of 

Northern  Italy,"  etc. 

With  a  'Photogravure  Frontispiece 

and  Sixty-four  Full  ^age  T^lates 

in  T^uogravure 

® 

BOSTON   ,3t    L.    C.    PAGE    & 
COMPANY    ^    PUBLISHERS 

^ 

* 

Copyright,  igoj 

By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporated) 


All  rights  reserved 


New  Edition,  February,  1912 


Eltetrotyptd  and  Printtd  by 
THE  COLONIAL  PRESS 
C.  H.  Simonds  &'  Co.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  object  and  plan  of  this  book  is  some- 
what different  from  that  of  any  other 
guides  at  present  before  the  public.  It  does 
not  compete  or  clash  with  such  existing  works ; 
it  is  rather  intended  to  supplement  than  to  sup- 
plant them.  My  purpose  is  not  to  direct  the 
stranger  through  the  streets  and  squares  of  an 
unknown  town  towards  the  buildings  or  sights 
which  he  may  desire  to  visit ;  still  less  is  it  my 
design  to  give  him  practical  information  about 
hotels,  cab  fares,  omnibuses,  tramways,  and 
other  every-day  material  conveniences.  For 
such  details,  the  traveller  must  still  have  re- 
course to  the  trusty  pages  of  his  Baedeker,  his 
Joanne,  or  his  Murray.  I  desire  rather  to  supply 
the  tourist  who  wishes  to  use  his  travel  as  a 
means  of  culture  with  such  historical  and  anti- 
quarian information  as  will  enable  him  to  un- 
derstand, and  therefore  to  enjoy,  the  architec- 


5138562 


viii  Introduction 

ture,  sculpture,  painting,  and  minor  arts  of  the 
towns  he  visits.  In  one  word,  it  is  my  object  to 
give  the  reader  in  a  very  compendious  form  the 
result  of  all  those  inquiries  which  have  natur- 
ally suggested  themselves  to  my  own  mind 
during  thirty-five  years  of  foreign  travel,  the 
solution  of  which  has  cost  myself  a  good  deal 
of  research,  thought,  and  labour,  beyond  the 
facts  which  I  could  find  in  the  ordinary  hand- 
books. 

For  several  years  past  I  have  devoted  myself 
to  collecting  and  arranging  material  for  a  set 
of  books  to  embody  the  idea  I  had  thus  enter- 
tained. I  earnestly  hope  they  may  meet  a  want 
on  the  part  of  tourists,  especially  Americans, 
who,  so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  usually 
come  to  Europe  with  an  honest  and  reverent 
desire  to  learn  from  the  Old  World  whatever 
of  value  it  has  to  teach  them,  and  who  are 
prepared  to  take  an  amount  of  pains  in  turning 
their  trip  to  good  account  which  is  both  rare 
and  praiseworthy.  For  such  readers  I  shall 
call  attention  at  times  to  other  sources  of 
information. 

The  general  plan  pursued  will  be  somewhat 
as  follows.     First  will  come  the  inquiry  why 


Introduction  ix 

a  town  ever  gathered  together  at  all  at  that 
particular  spot  —  what  induced  the  aggrega- 
tion of  human  beings  rather  there  than  else- 
where. Next,  we  shall  consider  why  that  town 
grew  to  social  or  political  importance  and  what 
were  the  stages  by  which  it  assumed  its  present 
shape.  Thirdly,  we  shall  ask  why  it  gave  rise 
to  that  higher  form  of  handicraft  which  we 
know  as  Art,  and  toward  what  particular  arts 
it  especially  gravitated.  After  that,  we  shall 
take  in  detail  the  various  strata  of  its  growth 
or  development,  examining  the  buildings  and 
works  of  art  which  they  contain  in  historical 
order,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  tracing  the  causes 
which  led  to  their  evolution.  In  particular,  we 
shall  lay  stress  upon  the  origin  and  meaning 
of  each  structure  as  an  organic  whole,  and 
upon  the  allusions  or  symbols  which  its  fabric 
embodies. 

A  single  instance  will  show  the  method  upon 
which  I  intend  to  proceed  better  than  any 
amount  of  general  description.  A  church,  as 
a  rule,  is  built  over  the  body  or  relics  of  a 
particular  saint,  in  whose  special  honour  it  was 
originally  erected.  That  saint  was  usually  one 
of  great  local  importance  at  the  moment  of  its 


X  Introduction 

erection,  or  was  peculiarly  implored  against 
plague,  foreign  enemies,  or  some  other  press- 
ing and  dreaded  misfortune.  In  dealing  with 
such  a  church,  then,  I  endeavour  to  show  what 
were  the  circumstances  which  led  to  its  erec- 
tion, and  what  memorials  of  these  circum- 
stances it  still  retains.  In  other  cases  it  may 
derive  its  origin  from  some  special  monastic 
body  —  Benedictine,  Dominican,  Franciscan 
—  and  may  therefore  be  full  of  the  peculiar 
symbolism  and  historical  allusion  of  the  order 
who  founded  it.  Wherever  I  have  to  deal  with 
such  a  church,  I  try  as  far  as  possible  to  ex- 
hibit the  effect  which  its  origin  had  upon  its 
architecture  and  decoration ;  to  trace  the  image 
of  the  patron  saint  in  sculpture  or  stained 
glass  throughout  the  fabric;  and  to  set  forth 
the  connection  of  the  whole  design  with  time 
and  place,  with  order  and  purpose.  In  short, 
instead  of  looking  upon  monuments  of  the 
sort  mainly  as  the  product  of  this  or  that  arch- 
itect, I  look  upon  them  rather  as  material  em- 
bodiments of  the  spirit  of  the  age  —  crystalli- 
zations, as  it  were,  in  stone  and  bronze,  in 
form  and  colour,  of  great  popular  enthusiasms. 
By  thus  concentrating  attention  on  what  is 


Introduction  xi 

essential  and  important  in  a  town,  I  hope  to 
give  in  a  comparatively  short  space,  though 
with  inevitable  conciseness,  a  fuller  account 
than  is  usually  given  of  the  chief  architectural 
and  miOnumental  works  of  the  principal  art- 
cities.  The  passing  life  of  the  moment  does  not 
enter  into  my  plan;  I  regard  each  town  I  en- 
deavour to  illustrate  mainly  as  a  museum  of  its 
own  history. 

For  this  reason,  too,  I  shall  devote  most 
attention  in  every  case  to  what  is  locally  illus- 
trative, and  less  to  what  is  merely  adventitious 
and  foreign.  I  shall  assign  a  due  amount  of 
space,  indeed,  to  the  foreign  collections,  but 
I  shall  call  attention  chiefly  to  those  monu- 
ments or  objects  which  are  of  entirely  local 
and  typical  value. 

As  regards  the  character  of  the  information 
given,  it  will  be  mainly  historical,  antiquarian, 
and,  above  all,  explanatory.  I  am  not  a  con- 
noisseur —  an  adept  in  the  difficult  modern 
science  of  distinguishing  the  handicraft  of 
various  masters,  in  painting  or  sculpture,  by 
minute  signs  and  delicate  inferential  processes. 
In  such  matters,  I  shall  be  well  content  to 
follow  the  lead  of  the  most  authoritative  ex- 


xii  Introduction 

perts.  Nor  am  I  an  art-critic  —  a  student 
versed  in  the  technique  of  the  studios  and  the 
dialect  of  the  modelHng-room.  In  such  mat- 
ters, again,  I  shall  attempt  little  more  than  to 
accept  the  general  opinion  of  the  most  dis- 
criminative judges.  What  I  aim  at  rather  is 
to  expound  the  history  and  meaning  of  each 
work  —  to  put  the  intelligent  reader  in  such 
a  position  that  he  may  judge  for  himself  of 
the  (Esthetic  beauty  and  success  of  the  object 
before  him.  To  recognize  the  fact  that  this 
is  a  Perseus  and  Andromeda,  that  a  St.  Bar- 
bara enthroned,  the  other  an  obscure  episode 
in  the  legend  of  St.  Philip,  is  not  art-criticism, 
but  it  is  often  an  almost  indispensable  prelude 
to  the  formation  of  a  right  and  sound  judg- 
ment. We  must  know  what  the  artist  was 
trying  to  represent  before  we  can  feel  sure  what 
measure  of  success  he  has  attained  in  his  repre- 
sentation. 

For  the  general  study  of  Christian  art, 
alike  in  architecture,  sculpture,  and  painting, 
no  treatises  are  more  useful  for  the  tourist  to 
carry  with  him  for  constant  reference  than 
Mrs.  Jameson's  "  Sacred  and  Legendary  Art," 
and   *'*  Legends  of  the  Madonna "    (London, 


Introduction  xiii 

Longmans).  For  works  of  Italian  art,  both  in 
Italy  and  elsewhere,  Kugler's  "  Italian  Schools 
of  Painting- "  is  an  invaluable  vade-mecum. 
These  books  should  be  carried  about  by  every- 
body everywhere.  Other  works  of  special  and 
local  importance  will  occasionally  be  noticed 
under  each  particular  city,  church,  or  museum. 

Whenever  in  the  text  paintings  or  other  ob- 
jects are  numbered,  the  numbers  used  are 
always  those  of  the  latest  official  catalogues. 

Individual  works  of  merit  are  distinguished 
by  an  asterisk  (*)  ;  those  of  very  exceptional 
interest  and  merit  have  two  asterisks. 


CONTENTS 


Introduction 

I.  Omgins  of  the  Belgian  Towns   . 

II.  The  History  of  the  Belgian  Towns 

III.  Order  of  the  Tour  .... 

IV.  Origins  of  Bruges    .... 
V.  The  Heart  of  Bruges     . 

VI.  The  Hospital  of  St.  John     . 

VII.  The  Town  of  Bruges  in  General 

VIII.  The  Churches  of  Bruges 

IX.  The  Academy  of  Bruges 

X.  Origins  of  Ghent     .... 

XI.  The  Core  of  Ghent 

XII.  The  Cathedral  of  Ghent     . 

XIII.  The  Outskirts  of  Ghent 

XIV.  Origins  of  Brussels 
XV.  The  Heart  of  Brussels 

XVT.  The    Brussels    Picture    Gallery: 

of  the  Old  Masters    . 

XVII.  The  Brussels     Picture     Gallery: 

Other  Halls 


Hall 


PAGE 

vi 
II 
23 
45 
48 

54 
73 
93 

lOI 

120 

133 
140 

155 
179 

193 
197 

208 

241 


Contents 

CHAPTES  FACE 

XVIII.    The  Cathedral  of  Brussels        .      .       .270 

XIX.    The  Upper  Town 283 

XX.    The  Surroundings  of  Brussels  .       .      .  303 

XXI.    Origins  of  Antwerp 317 

XXII.    The  Cathedral  of  Antwerp        .       .       .  326 

XXIII.  The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery:  Hall  of 

THE  Ancient  Masters 341 

XXIV.  The    Antwerp    Picture    Gallery:    the 

Other  Halls:  the  Rubens  Room   .,      .367 

XXV.    The  Town  of  Antwerp  in  General  .       .  396 

Index 4^9 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


H.  AND  J.  VAN  Eyck.  —  The  Angel  Gabreel  (detail 
from  the  Adoration  of  the  Lamb)  {See  page  173) 

Frontispiece 
The  Belfry  and  Grand'  Place,  Bruges    ...       55 
Palace  of  the  Provincial  Government  and  Post- 
office,  Bruges 58 

Chapelle  du  Saint  Sang,  Bruges  .  .  .  .  61 
Interior  of  Chapelle  du  Saint  Sang,  Bruges       .      65 

Hospital  of  St.  John,  Bruges 7g 

Memling.  —  Shrine  of  St.  Ursula  ....  80 
Memling.  —  Adoration  of  the  Magi  ....  84 
Memling.  —  Martin  van  Nieuwenhoven  ...  87 
Memling.  —  St.  John  the  Evangelist        ...      90 

Place  Jan  van  Eyck,  Bruges 94 

Church  of  Jerusalem,  Bruges 98 

Cathedral  of  St.  Sauveur,  Bruges    .       .       .       .101 

PouRBus.  —  The  Last  Supper 104 

Church  of  Notre  Dame  and  Porch,  Bruges  .  108 
Bekere.  —  Tomb  of  Mary  of  Burgundy  .  .  .111 
Michael  Angelo.  —  Madonna  and  Child  .       .       .113 

LUCA  DELLA  ROBBIA.  —  MadONNA  AND   ChILD      .         .      Il8 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

Jan    van    Eyck.  —  St.    George    (detail    from    Ma- 
donna and  Child) 122 

David.  —  Outer  Wings  of  Triptych  .  .  .  .128 
Belfry  and  Cloth  Hall,  Ghent         ....     142 

Hotel  de  Ville,  Ghent 144 

Van  Dyck.  —  Crucifixion 147 

The  Dulle  Grtete,  Ghent 151 

Church  of  St.  Jacques,  Ghent 153 

Cathedral  of  St.  Bavon,  Ghent 159 

Pulpit  of  the  Cathedral,  Ghent  .  .  .  .160 
H.  AND  J.  VAN  Eyck.  —  Adoration  of  the  Lamb 

(central  panel) 165 

H.  AND  J.   VAN  Eyck.  —  God   the   Father   (detail 

from  the  Adoration  of  the  Lamb)    .        .  .170 

H.  AND  J.  VAN  Eyck.  —  Singing  Angels  (detail  from 

the  Adoration  of  the  Lamb) 172 

Rubens.  —  Conversion  of  St.  Bavon  .  .  .  .176 
Ruins  of  the  Abbey  of  St.  Bavon,  Ghent  .  .  182 
Steen  of  Gerard  le  Diable,  Ghent  ....     185 

Hotel  de  Ville,  Brussels 198 

Maison  du  Roi,  Brussels 200 

Bouts.  —  Justice    of    the    Emperor    Otho    (first 

panel) 227 

Memling.  —  Triptych 230 

Jan  van  Eyck.  —  Adoration  of  the  Magi        .       .232 

Matsys.  —  Triptych 239 

Teniers.  —  The  Five  Senses 252 

Hals.  —  Portrait  of  W.  van  Heythuysen       .       .     264 

Jan  Steen.  —  The  Rhetorictans 266 

Facade  of  the  Cathedral,  Brussels  .       .       .       .272 
Verbruggen.  —  Pulpit  in   the   Cathedral,   Brus- 
sels         277 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

Palais  de  Justice,  Brussels 284 

Palais  de  la  Nation,  Brussels 290 

The  Bourse,  Brussels 299 

Place  Verte,  Antwerp 326 

Nave  of  the  Cathedral,  Antwerp      ....  330 

Rubens.  —  Descent  from  the  Cross  ....  333 

Rubens.  —  Assumption  (and  the  High  Altar)     .       .  335 

Pulpit  in  the  Cathedral,  Antwerp    ....  340 

Picture  Gallery,  Antwerp 342 

Memling.  —  Portrait     of     a     Premonstratenslan 

Canon '-358 

Van  der  Weyden.  —  The  Seven  Sacraments   .       .  360 

Matsys.  —  The  Entombment  (central  panel)  .  .  371 
Jordaens.  —  "As    Sing    the    Old,    So    Pipe    the 

Young" 380 

Rubens.  —  Coup  de  Lance 383 

Rubens.  —  Triptych 384 

Hotel  de  Ville,  Antwerp 397 

Esplanade,  Antwerp 402 

House  of  Rubens's  Parents,  Antwerp       .       .       .  408 

Interior  of  St.  Jacques,  Antwerp      ....  410 

Rubens.  —  Madonna  and  Child 412 

Gate  to  the  Fortifications,  Antwerp      .       .       .  416 


Belgium:   Its  Cities 


CHAPTER    I. 

ORIGINS     OF     THE     BELGIAN     TOWNE 

THE  somewhat  heterogeneous  country 
which  we  now  call  Belgium  formed  part 
of  Gaul  under  the  Roman  Empire.  But  though 
rich  and  commercial  even  then,  it  seems  to 
have  been  relatively  little  Romanized;  and  in 
the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century  it  was  over- 
run by  the  Salic  Franks,  on  their  way  toward 
Laon,  Soissons,  and  Paris.  When  civilization 
began  to  creep  northward  again  in  the  ninth 
century  through  the  districts  barbarized  by  the 
Teutonic  invasion,  it  was  the  Prankish  Charle- 
magne (Karl  the  Great)  who  introduced 
Roman  arts  afresh  into  the  Upper  and  Lower 
Rhinelands.    The  Rhine  from  Basle  to  Cologne 


12  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

was  naturally  the  region  most  influenced  by 
this  new  Roman  revival;  but  as  Charlemagne 
had  his  chief  seat  at  Aix-la-Chapelle  (Aachen), 
near  the  modern  Belgian  frontier,  the  west- 
ern Frankish  provinces  were  also  included 
in  the  sphere  of  his  improvements.  When 
the  kingdom  of  the  Franks  began  to  divide 
more  or  less  definitely  into  the  Empire  and 
France,  the  Flemish  region  formed  nomi- 
nally part  of  the  Neustrian  and,  later,  of  the 
French  dominions.  From  a  very  early  date, 
however,  it  was  practically  almost  independ- 
ent, and  it  became  so  even  in  name  during 
its  later  stages.  But  Brabant,  with  Brussels, 
remained  a  portion  of  the  Empire. 

The  Rhine  constituted  the  great  central 
waterway  of  mediaeval  Europe;  the  Flemish 
towns  were  its  ports  and  its  manufacturing 
centres.  They  filled  in  the  thirteenth  and  four- 
teenth centuries  much  the  same  place  that 
Liverpool,  Glasgow,  Manchester,  and  Birming- 
ham fill  in  the  twentieth.  Many  causes  con- 
tributed to  this  result.  Flanders,  half-inde- 
pendent under  its  own  counts,  occupied  a  mid- 
dle position,  geographically  and  politically, 
between  France  and  the  Empire;   it  was  com- 


Origins  of  the  Belgian  Towns     13 

paratively  free  from  the  disastrous  wars  which 
desolated  both  these  countries,  and  in  particu- 
lar (see  under  Ghent)  it  largely  escaped  the 
long  smouldering  quarrel  between  French  and 
English  which  so  long  retarded  the  develop- 
ment of  the  former.  Its  commercial  towns, 
again,  were  not  exposed  on  the  open  sea  to 
the  attacks  of  pirates  or  hostile  fleets,  but  were 
safely  ensconced  in  inland  flats,  reached  by 
rivers  or  canals,  almost  inaccessible  to  mari- 
time enemies.  Similar  conditions  elsewhere 
early  ensured  peace  and  prosperity  for  Venice. 
The  canal  system  of  Holland  and  Belgium 
began  to  be  developed  as  early  as  the  twelfth 
century  (at  first  for  drainage),  and  was  one 
leading  cause  of  the  commercial  importance 
of  the  Flemish  cities  in  the  fourteenth.  In  so 
flat  a  country,  locks  are  all  but  unnecessary. 
The  two  towns  which  earliest  rose  to  great- 
ness in  the  Belgian  area  were  thus  Bruges  and 
Ghent;  they  possessed  in  the  highest  degree 
the  combined  advantages  of  easy  access  to  the 
sea  and  comparative  inland  security.  Bruges, 
in  particular,  was  one  of  the  chief  stations  of 
the  Hanseatic  League,  which  formed  an  essen- 
tially commercial  alliance  for  the  mutual  pro- 


14  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

lection  of  the  northern  trading  centres.  By  the 
fourteenth  century  Bruges  had  thus  become 
in  the  north  what  Venice  was  in  the  south, 
the  capital  of  commerce.  Trading  companies 
from  all  the  surrounding  countries  had  their 
"  factories  "  in  the  town,  and  every  European 
king  or  prince  of  importance  kept  a  resident 
minister  accredited  to  the  merchant  Republic. 
Some  comprehension  of  the  mercantile  con- 
dition of  Europe  in  general  during  the  Middle 
Ages  is  necessary  in  order  to  understand  the 
early  importance  and  wealth  of  the  Flemish 
cities.  Southern  Europe,  and  in  particular 
Italy,  was  then  still  the  seat  of  all  higher 
civilization,  more  especially  of  the  trade  in 
manufactured  articles  and  objects  of  luxury. 
Florence,  Venice,  and  Genoa  ranked  as  the 
polished  and  learned  cities  of  the  world.  Fur- 
ther east,  again,  Constantinople  still  remained 
in  the  hands  of  the  Greek  emperors,  or,  during 
the  Crusades,  of  their  Latin  rivals.  A  brisk 
trade  existed  via  the  Mediterranean  between 
Europe  and  India  or  the  nearer  East.  This  dou- 
ble stream  of  traffic  ran  along  two  main  routes 
—  one,  by  the  Rhine,  from  Lombardy  and 
Rome;  the  other,  by  sea,  from  Venice,  Genoa, 


Origins  of  the  Belgian  Towns     15 

Florence,  Constantinople,  the  Levant,  and  In- 
dia. On  the  other  hand,  France  was  still  but  a 
half-civilized  country,  with  few  manufactures 
and  little  external  trade;  while  England  was 
an  exporter  of  raw  produce,  chiefly  wool,  like 
Australia  in  our  own  time.  The  Hanseatic 
merchants  of  Cologne  held  the  trade  of  Lon- 
don; those  of  Wisby  and  Liibeck  governed 
that  of  the  Baltic;  Bruges,  as  head  of  the 
Hansa,  was  in  close  connection  with  all  of 
these,  as  well  as  with  Hull,  York,  Novgorod, 
and  Bergen,  The  position  of  the  Flemish 
towns  in  the  fourteenth  century  was  thus  not 
wholly  unlike  that  of  New  York,  Philadelphia, 
and  Boston  at  the  present  day;  they  stood  as 
intermediaries  between  the  older  civilized 
countries,  like  Italy  or  the  Greek  empire,  and 
the  newer  producers  of  raw  material,  like 
England,  North  Germany,  and  the  Baltic 
towns. 

The  local  manufactures  of  Flanders  con- 
sisted chiefly  of  woollen  goods  and  linens ;  the 
imports  included  Italian  luxuries,  Spanish  figs 
and  raisins,  Egyptian  dates,  Oriental  silks, 
English  wool,  cattle,  and  metals,  Rhenish 
wines,  and  Baltic  furs,  skins,  and  walrus  tusks. 


l6  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

In  the  early  sixteenth  century,  when  navi- 
gation had  assumed  new  conditions,  and  trade 
was  largely  diverted  to  the  Atlantic,  Antwerp, 
the  port  of  the  Schelde,  superseded  the  towns  on 
the  inland  network.  As  Venice  sank,  Antwerp 
rose. 

The  art  that  grew  up  in  the  Flemish  cities 
during  their  epoch  of  continuous  commercial 
development  bears  on  its  very  face  the  visible 
impress  of  its  mercantile  origin.  France  is 
essentially  a  monarchical  country,  and  it  is 
centralized  in  Paris ;  everything  in  old  French 
art  is  therefore  regal  and  lordly.  The  Italian 
towns  were  oligarchies  of  nobles;  so  the  prin- 
cipal buildings  of  Florence  and  Venice  are  the 
castles  or  palaces  of  the  princely  families, 
while  their  pictures  represent  the  type  of  art 
that  belongs  in  its  nature  to  a  cultivated  aris- 
tocracy. But  in  Flanders  everything  is  in 
essence  commercial.  The  architecture  consists, 
mainly,  not  of  private  palaces,  but  of  guilds, 
town  halls,  exchanges,  belfries:  the  pictures 
are  the  portraits  of  solid  and  successful  mer- 
chants, or  the  devotional  works  which  a 
merchant  donor  presented  to  the  patron  saint 
of  his  town  or  business.     They  are  almost 


Origins  of  the  Belgian  Towns     17 

overloaded  with  details  of  fur,  brocade,  jew- 
elry, lace,  gold,  silver,  polished  brass,  glass- 
work.  Oriental  carpets,  and  richly  carved 
furniture.  In  order  to  understand  Flemish  art, 
therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  bear  in  mind  at 
every  step  that  it  is  the  art  of  a  purely  com- 
mercial people. 

Another  point  which  differentiates  Flemish 
painting  from  the  painting  of  Italy  during 
the  same  period  is  the  complete  absence  of  any 
opportunity  for  the  display  of  frescoes.  In 
the  Italian  churches,  where  the  walls  serve 
largely  for  support,  and  the  full  southern  light 
makes  the  size  of  the  windows  of  less  impor- 
tance, great  surfaces  were  left  bare  in  the  nave 
and  aisles,  or  in  the  lower  part  of  the  choir, 
crying  aloud  for  decoration  at  the  hands  of  the 
fresco-painter.  But  in  the  northern  Gothic, 
which  aimed  above  all  things  at  height  and 
the  soaring  effect,  and  which  almost  annihi- 
lated the  wall,  by  making  its  churches  consist 
of  rows  of  vast  windows  with  intervening 
piers  or  buttresses,  the  opportunity  for  mural 
decoration  occurred  but  seldom.  The  climate 
also  destroyed  frescoes.  Hence  the  works  of 
pictorial  art  in  Flemish  buildings  are  almost 


1 8  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

confined  to  altar-pieces  and  votive  tablets. 
Again,  the  great  school  of  painting  in  early- 
Italy  (from  Giotto  to  Perugino)  was  a  school 
of  fresco-painters;  but  in  Flanders  no  high 
type  of  art  rose  till  the  discovery  of  oil-painting. 
Pictures  were  usually  imported  from  the  Rhine 
towns.  Hence,  pictorial  art  in  the  Low 
Countries  seems  to  spring  almost  full-fledged, 
instead  of  being  traceable  through  gradual 
stages  of  evolution  as  in  Italy.  Most  of  the 
best  early  paintings  are  small  and  highly  fin- 
ished :  it  was  only  at  a  comparatively  late  date, 
when  Antwerp  became  the  leading  town,  that 
Italian  influence  began  to  produce  the  larger 
and  coarser  canvases  of  Rubens  and  his  fol- 
lowers. 

Very  early  Flemish  art  greatly  resembles 
the  art  of  the  School  of  Cologne,  Only  with 
Hubert  and  Jan  van  Eyck  (about  1360 — 1440) 
does  the  distinctively  Flemish  taste  begin  to 
show  itself  —  the  taste  for  delicate  and  mi- 
nute workmanship,  linked  with  a  peculiar 
realistic  idealism,  more  dainty  than  German 
work,  more  literal  than  Italian.  It  is  an  art 
that  bases  itself  upon  truth  of  imitation  and 
perfection  of  finish:   its  chief  aesthetic  beauty 


Origins  of  the  Belgian  Towns      19 

is  its  jewel-like  colour  and  its  wealth  of  decora- 
tive adjuncts.  The  subsequent  development 
of  Flemish  painting  —  the  painting  that  pleased 
a  clique  of  opulent  commercial  patrons  —  we 
shall  trace  in  detail  in  the  various  cities. 

Whoever  wishes  to  gain  a  deeper  insight 
into  Flemish  painting  should  take  in  his  port- 
manteau Sir  Martin  Conway's  "  Early  Flemish 
Artists,"  a  brilliant  and  masterly  work  of  the 
first  importance,  to  which  this  Guide  is  deeply 
indebted. 

The  political  history  of  the  country  during 
this  flourishing  period  of  the  Middle  Ages  has 
also  stamped  itself,  though  somewhat  less 
deeply,  on  the  character  of  the  towns  and  of 
the  art  evolved  in  them.  The  Counts  of  Flan- 
ders, originally  mere  lords  of  Bruges  and  its 
district,  held  their  dominions  of  the  Kings  of 
France.  Their  territory  included  not  only  Arras 
(at  first  the  capital,  now  included  in  France) 
with  Bruges,  Ghent,  Courtrai,  Tournay,  and 
Ypres,  but  also  the  towns  and  districts  of  Va- 
lenciennes, Lille,  and  St.  Omer,  which  are  now 
French.  From  the  time  of  Baldwin  VIII. 
(1191),  however.  Arras  became  a  part  of 
France,  and  Ghent  was  erected  into  the  capital 


20  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

of  Flanders.  In  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  two  women  sovereigns  ruled  in  succes- 
sion ;  under  them,  and  during  the  absence  of  the 
elective  Counts  on  crusades,  the  towns  rose  to  be 
practically  burgher  republics.  Bruges,  Ypres, 
Ghent,  and  Lille  were  said  to  possess  each 
forty  thousand  looms;  and  though  this  is  cer- 
tainly a  mediaeval  exaggeration,  yet  the  Flemish 
cities  at  this  epoch  were  at  any  rate  the  chief 
manufacturing  and  trading  centres  of  northern 
Europe,  while  London  was  still  a  mere  local 
emporium. 

In  the  fourteenth  century,  the  cities  acquired 
still  greater  freedom.  The  citizens  had  always 
claimed  the  right  to  elect  their  count;  and  the 
people  of  Ghent  now  made  treaties  without 
him  on  their  own  account  with  Edward  III.  of 
England.  To  this  age  belongs  the  heroic 
period  of  the  Van  Arteveldes  at  Ghent,  when 
the  burghers  became  the  real  rulers  of  Flanders, 
as  will  be  more  fully  described  hereafter.  In 
1384,  however.  Count  Louis  III.  died,  leaving 
an  only  daughter,  who  was  married  to  Philip 
the  Bold  of  Burgundy ;  and  the  wealthy  Flem- 
ish towns  thus  passed  under  the  sway  of  the 
powerful  princes  of  Dijon.     Brabant  fell  later 


Origins  o£  the   Belgian  Towns     2l 

by  inheritance,  to  Philip  the  Good.  It  was  under 
the  Burgundian  dynasty,  who  often  held  their 
court  at  Ghent,  that  the  arts  of  the  Netherlands 
attained  their  first  great  development.  Philip 
the  Good  (1419 — 1467)  employed  Jan  van 
Eyck  as  his  court  painter ;  and  during  his  reign 
or  just  after  it  the  chief  works  of  Flemish  art 
were  produced  in  Bruges,  Ghent,  Brussels,  and 
Toumay. 

Charles  the  Bold,  the  last  Duke  of  Burgundy, 
left  one  daughter,  Mary,  who  was  married  to 
Maximilian,  afterward  emperor.  From  that 
date  forward  the  history  of  the  Flemish  towns 
is  practically  merged  in  that  of  the  dynasty 
of  Charles  V.,  and  finally  becomes  the  story 
of  an  unwilling  and  ever  justly  rebellious  Span- 
ish province.  The  subsequent  vicissitudes  of 
Belgium  as  an  Austrian  appanage,  a  part  of 
Holland,  and  an  independent  kingdom,  belong 
to  the  domain  of  European  history.  For  the 
visitor,  it  is  the  period  of  the  Burgundian 
supremacy  that  really  counts  in  the  cities  of 
Belgium. 

Yet  the  one  great  point  for  the  tourist  to  bear 
in  mind  is  really  this  —  that  the  art  of  the 
Flemish  towns  is  essentially  the  art  of  a  group 


22  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

of  burgher  communities.  It  is  frankly  com- 
mercial, neither  royal  nor  aristocratic.  In  its 
beginnings  it  develops  a  strictly  municipal 
architecture,  with  a  school  of  painters  who 
aimed  at  portraiture  and  sacred  panel  pictures. 
After  the  Reformation  had  destroyed  sacred 
art  in  Holland,  painting  in  that  part  of  the 
Netherlands  confined  itself  to  portraits  and  to 
somewhat  vulgar  popular  scenes :  while  in  Bel- 
gium it  was  Italianized,  or  rather  Titianized 
and  Veronese'd,  by  Rubens  and  his  followers. 
But  in  its  best  days  it  was  national,  local,  and 
sacred  or  personal. 

Take  Conway's  "  Early  Flemish  Artists  " 
with  you  in  your  portmanteau,  and  read  over 
in  the  evening  his  account  of  the  works  you 
have  seen  during  the  day. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE   HISTORY   OF   THE   BELGIAN    TOWNS 

IN  the  separate  introductions  to  the  various 
towns,  dealing  rather  with  origins  than 
with  history,  I  shall  lay  stress  chiefly  on  the 
industrial  and  municipal  facts,  which  in  Bel- 
gium, indeed,  are  all-important.  I  give  here, 
however,  a  few  general  notes  on  the  political 
history  of  the  country  as  a  whole,  chiefly 
dynastic.  These  may  serve  for  reference,  or 
at  least  as  reminders;  and  in  particular  they 
should  be  useful  as  giving  some  information 
about  the  originals  of  portraits  in  the  various 
galleries. 

The  two  portions  of  the  modern  kingdom 
of  Belgium  with  which  we  are  most  concerned 
in  this  Guide  are  the  County  of  Flanders  and 
the  Duchy  of  Brabant.  The  first  was  origi- 
nally a  fief  of  France ;  the  second,  a  competent 
member  of  the  Empire.  They  were  commer- 
23 


24  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

daily  wealthier  than  the  other  portions  of  the 
Gallo-German  borderland  which  is  now  Bel- 
gium; they  were  also  the  parts  most  afifected 
by  the  Burgundian  princes;  on  both  which 
accounts,  they  are  still  by  far  the  richest  in 
works  of  art,  alike  in  architecture,  in  painting, 
and  in  sculpture. 

The  vast  Prankish  dominions  of  the  Mero- 
vingians and  of  the  descendants  of  Charle- 
magne —  of  the  Merwings  and  Karlings,  to 
be  more  strictly  Teutonic  —  showed  at  all 
times  a  tendency  to  break  up  into  two  dis- 
tinct realms,  known  as  the  Eastern  and  West- 
ern Kingdoms  (Austria  —  not,  of  course,  in 
the  modern  sense  —  and  Neustria).  These 
kingdoms  were  not  artificial,  but  based  on  a 
real  difference  of  race  and  speech.  The  East- 
ern Kingdom  (Franken  or  Franconia)  where 
the  Prankish  and  Teutonic  blood  was  purest, 
became  first  the  Empire,  in  the  restricted  sense, 
and  later  Germany  and  Austria  (in  part). 
The  Western  Kingdom  (Neustria)  where 
Celtic  or  Gallic  blood  predominated,  and  where 
the  speech  was  Latin,  or  (later)  French,  be- 
came in  time  the  Kingdom  of  France.  But 
between   these   two   Prancias,   and   especially 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns     25 

during  the  period  of  unrest,  there  existed  a 
certain  number  of  middle  provinces,  sometimes 
even  a  middle  kingdom,  known  from  its  first 
possessor,  Lothar,  son  of  Charlemagne,  as 
Lotharingia  or  Lorraine.  Of  these  middle 
provinces,  the  chief  northern  members  were 
Flanders,  Brabant,  Hainault,  and  Liege. 

Flanders  in  the  early  Middle  Ages  was  a 
fief  of  France ;  it  included  not  only  the  modern 
Belgian  provinces  of  East  and  West  Flanders, 
but  also  French  Flanders,  that  is  to  say,  the 
Department  of  the  Nord  and  part  of  the  Pas 
de  Calais.  As  early  as  the  Treaty  of  Verdun 
(843),  the  land  of  Flanders  was  assigned  to 
Neustria.  But  the  county,  as  we  know  it, 
really  grew  up  from  the  possessions  of  a  noble 
family  at  Bruges  and  Sluys,  the  head  of  which 
was  originally  known  as  forester  or  ranger. 
In  862,  the  King  of  France,  as  suzerain, 
changed  this  title  to  that  of  count,  in  the 
person  of  Baldwin  Bras-de-Fer  (Baldwin  I.). 
Baldwin  was  also  invested  with  the  charge  of 
the  neighbouring  coast  of  France  proper,  on 
tenure  of  defending  it  against  the  Norman 
pirates.  In  1006,  his  descendant,  Baldwin  IV., 
seized  the  Emperor's  town  of  Valenciennes; 


26  Belgium:  Its   Cities 

and  having  shown  his  abiHty  to  keep  his  booty, 
he  was  invested  by  the  Franconian  Henry  II. 
with  this  district  as  a  fief,  so  that  he  thus 
became  a  feudatory  both  of  France  and  of  the 
Empire.  He  was  also  presented  with  Ghent 
and  the  Isles  of  Zealand.  Baldwin  V.  ( 1036) 
added  to  the  growing  principality  the  districts 
of  Alost,  Tournay,  and  Hainault.  The  petty 
dynastic  quarrels  of  the  eleventh  century  are 
far  too  intricate  for  record  here;  in  the  end, 
the  domains  of  the  counts  were  approximately 
restricted  to  what  we  now  know  as  Flanders 
proper.  A  bare  list  of  names  and  dates  must 
suffice  for  this  epoch:  —  Baldwin  V.  (1036 — 
1067);  Baldwin  VI.  (1067 — 1070);  Robert 
11.  (1093 — nil);  and  Baldwin  VII.  (mi 
— 1119). 

After  this  date,  the  native  line  having  be- 
come extinct,  the  county  was  held  by  foreign 
elective  princes,  under  whom  the  power  of 
the  towns  increased  greatly.  Among  these 
alien  counts,  the  most  distinguished  was 
Theodoric  (in  French,  Thierry;  in  German, 
Dietrich;  or  in  Dutch,  Dierick)  of  Alsace, 
who  was  a  distinguished  Crusader,  and  the 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns     27 

founder  of  the  Chapel  of  the  Holy  Blood  at 
Bruges   (which  see). 

Under  Baldwin  of  Hainault  (1191 — 1194) 
Artois  was  ceded  to  France,  together  with 
St.  Omer  and  Hesdin.  Henceforth,  Ghent 
superseded  Arras  as  the  capital.  Baldwin  IX. 
(1194 — 1206)  became  a  mighty  Crusader, 
and  founded  the  Latin  Empire  of  Constanti- 
nople. Indeed,  the  Crusades  were  largely 
manned  and  managed  by  Flemings.  He  was 
followed  in  Flanders  by  his  two  daughters, 
Johanna  and  Margaret,  under  whose  rule  the 
cities  gained  still  greater  privileges.  Mar- 
garet's son,  Guy  de  Dampierre,  was  the 
creature  of  Philippe  IV.  of  France,  who  en- 
deavoured to  rule  Flanders  through  his  min- 
ister, Chatillon.  The  Flemings  answered  by 
just  revolt,  and  fought  the  famous  Battle  of 
the  Spurs  near  Courtrai,  already  described, 
against  the  French  interlopers  (see  Bruges). 
In  1322,  Louis  de  Nevers  (Louis  I.)  became 
count,  and  provoked  by  his  Gallicizing  and 
despotic  tendencies  the  formidable  rebellion 
under  Van  Artevelde  (see  Ghent).  The  quar- 
rel between  the  league  of  burghers  and  their 
lord  continued  more  or  less  during  the  reigns 


2&  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

of  Count  Louis  II,  (1346)  and  Louis  III., 
who  died  in  1385,  leaving  one  daughter,  Mar- 
garet, married  to  Philip  the  Bold  (Philippe- 
le-Hardi)  of  Burgundy. 

The  political  revolution  caused  in  Flanders 
and  Brabant  by  the  accession  of  the  Burgnn- 
dian  dynasty  was  so  deep-reaching  that  a  few 
words  must  be  devoted  to  the  origin  and  rise 
of  this  powerful  family,  a  branch  of  the  royal 
Valois  of  France.  The  old  Kingdom  of  Bur- 
gfundy  had,  of  course,  been  long  extinct;  but 
its  name  was  inherited  by  two  distinct  prin- 
cipalities, the  Duchy  of  Burgundy,  which 
formed  part  of  France,  and  the  County  of 
Burgundy  (Franche  Comte),  which  was  a  fief 
of  the  Empire.  In  the  fourteenth  century,  a 
new  middle  kingdom,  like  the  earlier  Lotha- 
ringia,  seemed  likely  to  arise  by  the  sudden 
growth  of  a  practically  independent  power  in 
this  debatable  land  between  France  and  Ger- 
many. In  1 36 1,  the  Duchy  of  Burgundy  fell 
in  to  the  crown  of  France;  and  in  order,  as 
he  thought,  to  secure  its  union  with  the  central 
authority,  John  the  Good  of  France  (Jean-le- 
Bon),  during  the  troublous  times  after  the 
Treaty  of  Bretigny,  conferred  it  as  a  fief  upon 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns     29 

his  son,  Philippe  de  Valois  (PhiHp  the  Bold, 
or  PhiHppe-le-Hardi )  who  married  Margaret 
of  Flanders,  thus  uniting  two  of  the  greatest 
vassal  principalities  of  the  French  crown.  In 
1385,  on  the  death  of  Louis  III.,  Philip  suc- 
ceeded to  the  County  of  Flanders,  now  practi- 
cally almost  an  independent  state.  After  him 
reigned  three  other  princes  of  his  family. 
John  the  Fearless  (Jean-sans-Peur,  1404 — 
1419)  will  be  remembered  by  visitors  to  Paris 
as  the  builder  of  the  Porte  Rouge  at  Notre- 
Dame  de  Paris.  Philip  the  Good  (Philippe- 
le-Bon,  1419 — 1467)  was  the  patron  of  Van 
Eyck  and  Memling.  (His  portrait  by  Roger 
van  der  Weyden  is  in  the  Antwerp  Gallery.) 
Charles  the  Bold  ( Charles-le-Temeraire,  1467 
— 1477)  raised  the  power  of  the  house  to  its 
utmost  pitch,  and  then  destroyed  it.  (His 
portrait  by  Memling  is  in  the  Brussels  Gal- 
lery.) Contrary,  however,  to  the  belief  of 
John  the  Good,  the  princes  of  the  Valois  dy- 
nasty in  Burgundy,  instead  of  remaining 
loyal  to  the  crown  of  France,  became  some 
of  its  most  dangerous  and  dreaded  rivals. 

All  these  dukes,  as  French  princes,  played 
at  the  same  time  an   important  part  in   the 


30  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

affairs  of  France,  They  also  won,  by  mar- 
riage, by  purchase,  by  treaty,  or  by  conquest, 
large  territories  within  the  Empire,  including 
most  of  modern  Belgium  and  Holland,  to- 
gether with  much  that  is  now  part  of  France. 
They  were  thus,  like  their  Flemish  predeces- 
sors, vassals  at  once  of  the  Emperor  and  the 
French  king;  but  they  were  really  more  pow- 
erful than  either  of  their  nominal  overlords; 
for  their  central  position  between  the  two 
jealous  neighbours  gave  them  great  advan- 
tages, while  their  possession  of  the  wealthy 
cities  of  the  Lx)w  Countries  made  them  into 
the  richest  princes  in  mediaeval  Europe.  It 
was  at  their  opulent  and  ostentatious  court  that 
Van  Eyck  and  Memling  painted  the  gorgeous 
pictures  which  still  preserve  for  us  some  vague 
memory  of  this  old-world  splendour.  At  the 
same  time,  the  increased  power  of  the  princes, 
who  could  draw  upon  their  other  dominions 
to  suppress  risings  in  Flanders,  told  unfavour- 
ably upon  the  liberties  of  the  cities.  The  Bur- 
gundian  dominion  thus  sowed  the  seeds  of 
the  Spanish  despotism. 

Jean-sans-Peur  was  murdered  by  the  Dau- 
phin,   afterwards    Charles    VII.;     and    this 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns     31 

cousinly  crime  threw  his  son,  Philippe-le-Bon, 
into  the  arms  of  the  English.  It  was  the 
poHcv  of  Burgundy  and  Flanders,  indeed,  to 
weaken  the  royal  power  by  all  possible  means. 
Philip  supported  the  English  cause  in  France 
for  many  years;  and  it  was  his  defection, 
after  the  Treaty  of  Arras  in  1435,  that  des- 
stroyed  the  chances  of  Henry  VI.  on  the  Con- 
tinent. The  reign  of  Philippe-le-Bon,  we  saw, 
was  the  Augustan  age  of  the  Burgimdian 
dynasty.  (Fully  to  understand  Burgundian 
art,  however,  you  must  visit  Dijon  as  well  as 
Brabant  and  Flanders.)  Under  Charles  the 
Bold,  the  most  ambitious  prince  of  the  Bur- 
gundian house,  the  power  of  the  dukes  was 
raised  for  a  time  to  its  highest  pitch,  and  then 
began  to  collapse  suddenly.  A  constant  rivalry 
existed  between  Charles  and  his  nominal 
suzerain,  Louis  XI.  It  was  Charles's  dream 
to  restore  or  re-create  the  old  Burgundian 
kingdom  by  annexing  Lorraine,  with  its  cap- 
ital, Nancy,  and  conquering  the  rising  Swiss 
Confederacy.  He  would  thus  have  consoli- 
dated his  dominions  in  the  Netherlands  with 
his  discontinuous  Duchy  and  County  of  Bur- 
gundy.    He  had  even  designs  upon  Provence, 


32  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

then  as  yet  an  independent  county.  Louis  XI. 
met  these  attempts  to  create  a  rival  state  by 
a  policy  of  stirring  up  enemies  against  his  too 
powerful  feudatory.  In  his  war  with  the 
Swiss,  Charles  was  signally  defeated  in  the 
decisive  battles  at  Granson  and  Morat,  in 
1476.  In  the  succeeding  year,  he  was  routed 
and  killed  at  Nancy,  whither  the  Swiss  had 
gone  to  help  Rene,  Duke  of  Lorraine,  in  his 
effort  to  win  back  his  duchy  from  Charles. 
The  conquered  duke  was  buried  at  Nancy, 
but  his  body  was  afterwards  brought  to  Bruges 
by  his  descendant^  the  Emperor  Charles  V., 
and  now  reposes  in  the  splendid  tomb  which 
we  have  seen  at  Notre-Dame  in  that  city. 

This  war  had  important  results.  It  largely 
broke  down  the  power  of  Burgundy.  Charles's 
daughter,  Mary,  kept  the  Low  Countries  and 
the  County  of  Burgundy  (Imperial)  ;  but  the 
duchy  (French)  reverted  to  the  crown  of 
France,  with  which  it  was  ever  after  asso- 
ciated. The  scheme  of  a  great  Middle  King- 
dom thus  came  to  an  end ;  and  the  destinies 
of  the  Low  Countries  were  entirely  altered. 

We  have  next  to  consider  the  dynastic 
events   by  which   the   Low   Countries   passed 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns     33 

under  the  rule  of  the  House  of  Hapsburg. 
In  1477,  Mary  of  Burgundy  succeeded  her 
father,  Charles,  as  Countess  of  Flanders, 
Duchess  of  Brabant,  etc.  In  the  same  year 
she  was  married  to  Maximilian  of  Austria, 
King  of  the  Romans,  son  of  the  Emperor 
Frederic  III.  (or  IV.).  Maximilian  was 
afterwards  elected  Emjperor  on  his  father's 
death.  The  children  of  this  marriage  were 
Philip  the  Handsome  ( Philippe-le-Beau,  or  le- 
Bel;  Philippus  Stok),  who  died  in  1506,  and 
Margaret  of  Austria.  Philip,  again,  married 
Johanna  (Juana)  the  Mad,  of  Castile,  and 
thus  became  King  of  Castile,  in  right  of  his 
wife.  The  various  steps  by  which  these  dif- 
ferent sovereignties  were  cumulated  in  the 
person  of  Philip's  son,  Charles  V.,  are  so  im- 
portant to  a  proper  comprehension  of  the  sub- 
ject that  I  venture  to  tabulate  them. 

Frederic  III.  (or  IV.)     Charles  the  Bold. 

I  I 

Ferdinand  =  Isabella      Maximilian  :=     Mary 


(of  Aragon) 


(of  Castile)  (of  Austria) 


(of  Burgundy) 


Johanna  the  Mad     =      Philippe-le-Beau 

(of  Spain)  I         (of  Burgundy  and  Austria) 

Charles  V. 


34  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

During  the  lifetime  of  Maximilian,  who  was 
afterwards  Emperor,  Mary,  and  her  son 
Philippe-le-Beau,  ruled  at  first  in  the  Low 
Countries  (for  the  quarrel  between  Maximilian 
and  Bruges  over  the  tutorship  of  Philippe, 
see  p.  59).  After  the  death  of  Isabella  of 
Castile,  Ferdinand  retired  to  Aragon,  and 
Philippe  ruled  Castile  on  behalf  of  his  insane 
wife,  Juana.  Philippe  died  in  1506,  and  his 
sister,  Margaret  of  Austria,  then  ruled  as 
regent  in  the  Netherlands  (for  Charles)  till 
her  death  in  1530.  Charles  V.,  born  at  Ghent, 
in  1500,  was  elected  to  the  Empire  after  his 
grandfather,  Maximilian  L,  and  thus  became 
at  once  Emperor,  King  of  Spain,  Duke  of 
Austria,  and  ruler  of  the  Low  Countries.  (In 
1 5 16  he  succeeded  Ferdinand  in  the  Kingdom 
of  Spain,  and  in  15 19  was  elected  Emperor.) 

The  same  series  of  events  carried  the  Nether- 
lands, quite  accidentally,  under  Spanish  rule. 
For  Charles  was  an  absolutist,  who  governed 
on  essentially  despotic  principles.  His  conduct 
towards  Ghent  in  1539  brought  affairs  to  a 
crisis.  The  Emperor,  in  pursuance  of  his  plans 
against  France,  had  demanded  an  enormous 
subsidy   from   the  city,   which  the  burgesses 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns     35 

constitutionally  refused  to  grant,  meeting  the 
unjust  extortion  by  open  rebellion.  They  even 
entered  into  negotiations  with  Francis  I. ;  who, 
however,  with  the  base  instinct  of  a  brother 
absolutist,  betrayed  their  secret  to  his  enemy, 
the  Emperor.  Charles  actually  obtained  leave 
from  Francis  to  march  a  Spanish  army  through 
France  to  punish  the  Flemings,  and  arrived 
with  a  powerful  force  before  the  rebellious 
city.  The  Ghenters  demanded  pardon;  but 
Charles,  deeply  incensed,  entered  the  town 
under  arms,  and  took  up  his  abode  there  in 
triumph.  Alva,  his  ruthless  Spanish  com- 
mander (portrait  in  the  Brussels  Gallery),  sug- 
gested that  the  town  should  be  utterly  des- 
troyed; but  the  Emperor  could  not  afford  to 
part  with  his  richest  and  most  populous  city, 
nor  could  even  he  endure  to  destroy  his  birth- 
place. He  contented  himself  with  a  terrible 
vengeance,  beheading  the  ringleaders,  banish- 
ing the  minor  patriots,  and  forfeiting  the  goods 
of  all  suspected  persons.  The  city  was  declared 
guilty  of  lese-'fttajeste,  and  the  town  magis- 
trates, with  the  chiefs  of  the  Guilds,  were  com- 
pelled to  appear  before  Charles  with  halters 
round  their  necks,  and  to  beg  for  pardon.    The 


36  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

Emperor  also  ordered  that  no  magistrate  of 
Ghent  should  ever  thenceforth  appear  in  public 
without  a  halter,  a  badge  which  became  with 
time  a  mere  silken  decoration.  The  privileges 
of  the  city  were  at  the  same  time  abolished,  and 
the  famous  old  bell,  Roland,  was  removed  from 
the  Belfry. 

Thenceforth  Charles  treated  the  Netherlands 
as  a  conquered  Spanish  territory.  He  dissolved 
the  monastery  of  St.  Bavon,  and  erected  on  its 
site  the  great  Citadel,  which  he  garrisoned  with 
Spaniards,  to  repress  the  native  love  of  liberty 
of  the  Flemings  (see  Ghent).  In  subsequent 
risings  of  the  Low  Countries,  the  Spaniards' 
Castle,  the  stronghold  of  the  alien  force,  was 
the  first  point  to  be  attacked;  and  on  it  de- 
pended the  issue  of  freedom  or  slavery  in  the 
Netherlands.  Charles  also  established  the  In- 
quisition, which  is  said  to  have  put  to  death 
no  few^er  than  one  hundred  thousand  persons. 

In  1555,  the  Emperor  abdicated  in  favour 
of  his  son  Philip,  known  as  Philip  II.  of  Spain. 
But  his  brother  Ferdinand,  to  whom  he  had 
resigned  his  Austrian  dominions,  was  elected 
Emperor  (having  been  already  King  of  the 
Romans)  as  Ferdinand  I.    From  his  time  forth, 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns    37 

the  Empire  became  more  exclusively  German, 
so  that  its  connection  with  Rome  was  almost 
forgotten  save  as  a  historic  myth,  degenerat- 
ing into  the  mere  legal  fiction  of  a  Holy  Roman 
Empire,  with  nothing  Roman  in  it.  Thus,  the 
Netherlands  alone  of  the  earlier  Burgundian 
heritage  remained  in  the  holding  of  the  Aus- 
trian kings  of  Spain,  who  ruled  them  nominally 
as  native  sovereigns,  but  practically  as  Span- 
iards and  aliens  by  means  of  imported  military 
garrisons. 

Philip  II.  —  austere,  narrow,  domineering, 
fanatical  —  remained  only  four  years  in  the 
Netherlands,  and  then  retired  to  Spain,  appoint- 
ing his  half-sister,  Margaret  of  Parma  (illegit- 
imate daughter  of  Charles  V.),  regent  of  the 
Low  Countries  (1559 — 1567).  She  resided 
in  the  Ancienne  Cour  at  Brussels.  Her  minis- 
ter, Granvella,  Bishop  of  Arras,  made  himself 
so  unpopular,  and  the  measures  taken  against 
the  Protestants  were  sO'  severe^  that  the  cities, 
ever  the  strongholds  of  liberty,  showed  signs 
of  revolution.  They  objected  to  the  illegal 
maintenance  of  a  Spanish  standing  army,  and 
also  to  the  Inquisition.  In  April,  1567,  as  a 
consequence  of  the  discontents,  the  Duke  of 


38  Belgium  :  Its  Cities 

Alva  was  sent  with  ten  thousand  men  as  Heu- 
tenant-general  to  the  Netherlands,  to  suppress 
what  was  known  as  the  Beggars'  League  (Les 
Gueux),  now  practically  headed  by  the  Prince 
of  Orange  (William  the  Silent).  Alva  entered 
Brussels  with  his  Spanish  and  Italian  merce- 
naries and  treacherously  seized  his  two  sus- 
pected antagonists,  Count  Egmont  and  Count 
Hoorn.  The  two  patriotic  noblemen  were  im- 
prisoned at  Ghent,  in  the  Spaniards'  Castle, 
were  condemned  to  death,  and  finally  beheaded 
in  the  Grand'  Place  at  Brussels.  ( For  fuller  de- 
tails of  the  great  revolutionary  movement  thus 
inaugurated,  see  Motley's  "  Rise  of  the  Dutch 
Republic,"  and  Juste's  "  Le  Comte  d'Egmont 
et  le  Comte  de  Homes.")  Alva  also  estab- 
lished in  Brussels  his  infamous  "  Council  of 
Troubles,"  which  put  to  death  in  cold  blood 
no  less  than  twenty  thousand  inoffensive 
burghers.  His  cold  and  impassive  cruelty  led 
to  the  Revolt  of  the  United  Provinces  in  1568 
—  a  general  movement  of  all  the  Spanish 
Netherlands  (as  they  now  began  to  be  called) 
to  throw  off  the  hateful  yoke  of  Spain.  Under 
the  able  leadership  of  William  of  Orange,  the 
Flemings  besieged  and  reduced  the  Spaniards' 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns     39 

Castle  at  Ghent.  In  the  deadly  struggle  for 
freedom  which  ensued,  the  Northern  Provinces 
(Holland),  aided  by  their  great  natural  advan- 
tages for  defence  among  the  flooded  marshes 
of  the  Rhine  delta,  succeeded  in  casting  oflf 
their  allegiance  to  Philip.  They  were  then 
known  as  the  United  Netherlands.  The  long 
and  heroic  contest  of  the  Southern  Provinces 
(Belgium)  against  the  Spanish  oppressor  was 
not  equally  successful.  A  desperate  struggle 
for  liberty  met  with  little  result,  and  the  Spanish 
sovereigns  continued  to  govern  their  Belgian 
dominions  like  a  conquered  country.  In  1578, 
Alessandro  Farnese,  Duke  of  Parma  (son  of 
Margaret) ,  was  sent  as  Governor  to  the  Nether- 
lands, where  he  remained  in  power  till  1596.  In 
the  prosecution  of  the  war  against  the  Northern 
Provinces  (Holland),  he  besieged  Antwerp, 
and  took  it  after  fourteen  months,  in  1585.  In 
the  "  Spanish  Fury  "  which  followed,  Antwerp 
was  almost  destroyed,  and  all  its  noblest  build- 
ings ruined.  Nevertheless,  under  Parma's  rule, 
the  other  cities  recovered  to  a  certain  extent 
their  municipal  freedom;  though  the  country 
as  a  whole  was  still  treated  as  a  vanquished 
province. 


40  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

The  next  great  landmark  of  Belgian  history 
is  the  passage  of  the  Spanish  Netherlands  under 
Austrian  rule.  The  first  indefinite  steps  toward 
this  revolution  were  taken  in  1598,  when  Philip 
II.  ceded  the  country  as  a  fief  to  his  daughter 
the  Infanta  Isabella  (Clara  Isabella  Eugenia) 
on  her  marriage  with  Albert,  Archduke  of 
Austria,  who  held  the  provinces  as  the  Spanish 
governor.  (Portraits  of  Albert  and  Isabella  by 
Rubens  in  the  Brussels  Gallery.)  The  new 
rulers  made  the  country  feel  to  a  certain  extent 
that  it  was  no  longer  treated  as  a  mere  diso- 
bedient Spanish  appanage.  After  the  troubles 
of  the  Revolt,  and  the  cruel  destruction  of  Ant- 
werp by  Parma,  trade  and  manufactures  began 
to  revive.  Albert  and  Isabella  were  strongly 
Catholic  in  sentiment;  and  it  was  under  their 
regime  that  the  greater  part  of  the  rococo 
churches  of  Antwerp  and  other  cities  were 
built,  in  the  showy  but  debased  taste  of  the 
period,  and  decorated  with  large  and  brilliantly 
coloured  altar-pieces.  They  also  induced 
Rubens  to  settle  in  the  Netherlands,  appointed 
him  court  painter,  and  allowed  him  to  live  at 
Antwerp,  where  the  trade  of  the  Low  Countries 
was  still  largely  concentrated.     During  their 


History  of  the  Belgian  Towns     4 1 

vice-royalty,  however,  Brussels  became  more 
than  ever  the  recognized  capital  of  the  country, 
and  the  seat  of  the  aristocracy. 

After  Albert's  death  in  1621,  the  Netherlands 
reverted  to  Spain,  and  a  dull  period,  without 
either  art  or  real  local  history,  supervened, 
though  the  wars  of  the  seventeenth  and  eight- 
eenth centuries  were  in  great  part  fought  out 
over  these  unfortunate  provinces,  "  the 
cockpit  of  Europe."  The  campaigns  of  Marl- 
borough and  Prince  Eugene  are  too  well  known 
as  part  of  English  and  European  history  to 
need  recapitulation  here.  At  the  end  of  the 
War  of  the  Spanish  Succession,  the  Peace  of 
Rastadt,  in  17 14,  assigned  the  Spanish  Nether- 
lands to  Austria,  thus  entailing  upon  the 
unhappy  country  another  hundred  years  of 
foreign  domination.  Nevertheless,  the  Aus- 
trian Netherlands,  as  they  were  thenceforth 
called  (in  contradistinction  to  the  "  United 
Netherlands  "  or  Holland),  were  on  the  whole 
tolerably  well  governed  by  the  Austrian  Stadt- 
holders,  who  held  their  court  at  Brussels,  and 
who  were  usually  relations  of  the  Imperial 
family.  Few  memorials,  however,  of  Maria 
Theresa,  of  Joseph  IL,  or  of  Leopold  II.  now 


42  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

exist  in  Belgium,  and  those  few  are  not  re- 
markable for  beauty.  It  was  during  this 
relatively  peaceful  and  law-abiding  time,  on 
the  other  hand,  that  the  Upper  Town  of 
Brussels  was  laid  out  in  its  existing  form  by 
Guimard.  As  a  whole,  the  Belgian  provinces 
were  probably  better  governed  under  Austrian 
rule  than  under  any  other  regime  up  to  the 
period  of  the  existing  independent  and  national 
monarchy. 

The  French  Revolutionists  invaded  Belgium 
in  1794,  and  committed  great  havoc  among 
historical  buildings  at  Bruges  and  elsewhere. 
Indeed,  they  did  more  harm  to  the  arts  of  the 
Netherlands  than  anybody  else,  except  the 
Spaniards  and  the  modern  "  restorers."  They 
also  divided  Belgium  into  nine  departments; 
and  Napoleon  half  sneeringly,  half  cynically, 
justified  the  annexation  on  the  ground  that  the 
Low  Countries  were  the  alluvial  deposit  of 
French  rivers.  The  Belgian  States  formed 
part  of  Napoleon's  composite  empire  till  18 14, 
when  those  Southern  Provinces  were  assigned 
by  the  Treaty  of  London  to  Holland.  In  181 5, 
during  the  Hundred  Days,  the  Allied  Armies 


History  of  the   Belgian  Towns     43 

had  their  headquarters  at  Brussels,  and  the 
decisive  battle  against  Napoleon  was  fought 
at  Waterloo.  The  Congress  of  Vienna  once 
more  affirmed  the  union  of  Belgium  and  Hol- 
land; they  remained  as  one  kingdom  till  the 
first  revolutionary  period  in  1830.  The  South- 
em  Province  then  successfully  seceded  from 
the  Dutch  monarchy :  indeed,  the  attempted 
fusion  of  semi-French  and  Catholic  Belgium 
v^ith  purely  Teutonic  and  Protestant  Holland 
was  one  of  those  foredoomed  failures  so  dear 
to  diplomacy.  A  National  Congress  elected 
Leopold  of  Saxe-Coburg  as  King  of  the  Bel- 
gians (Roi  des  Beiges),  and  the  crown  is  now 
held  by  his  son,  Leopold  H.  For  nearly  seventy 
years  Belgium  has  thus  enjoyed,  for  the  first 
time  in  its  history,  an  independent  and  relatively 
popular  government  of  its  own  choosing.  The 
development  of  its  iron  and  coal  industries  dur- 
ing this  epoch  has  vastly  increased  its  wealth 
and  importance;  while  the  rise  of  Antwerp 
as  a  great  European  port  has  also  done  much 
to  develop  its  resources.  At  the  present  day 
Belgium  ranks  as  one  of  the  most  thickly 
populated,    richest,    and   on   the   whole    most 


44  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

liberal-minded  countries  of  Europe.  Its  neu- 
trality is  assured  by  the  Treaty  of  London,  and 
its  army  exists  only  to  repel  invasion  in  case 
that  neutrality  should  ever  be  violated. 


CHAPTER  III. 


ORDER    OF    THE    TOUR 


IF  possible,  visit  the  cities  of  Belgium  in  the 
order  in  which  they  are  treated  in  this 
guide :  —  Bruges  first ;  then  Ghent,  Brussels, 
and  Antwerp.  For  this  order  you  will  find 
very  good  reasons.  Bruges  is  the  most  antique 
in  tone  and  the  least  spoiled  of  all  the  Flemish 
towns;  it  best  exhibits  the  local  peculiarities 
we  have  here  specially  to  consider ;  and  it  leads 
up  naturally  to  the  other  cities.  It  is  true,  Mem- 
ling,  the  great  painter  whom  we  have  chiefly 
to  study  at  Bruges,  is  later  in  date  than  Jan 
van  Eyck,  whose  principal  work  (with  that  of 
his  brother  Hubert)  is  to  be  seen  at  Ghent.  But 
historical  sequence  in  this  minor  matter  is 
somewhat  less  important  than  a  due  apprehen- 
sion of  the  general  air  of  an  old  Flemish  town 
such  as  those  in  which  the  art  of  the  Van  Eycks 
arose;  and  besides,  there  is  at  least  one  char- 
45 


46  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

acteristic  Van  Eyck  at  Bruges,  while  there  are 
many  Memlings  for  comparison  in  other  cities. 

As  a  rule,  too  little  time  is  gpiven  by  tourists 
to  Bruges  and  Ghent,  and  too  much  to  Brussels. 
I  should  advise  three  or  four  days  each  to  the 
first-named  towns,  and  a  week  to  the  capital. 

Those  who  intend  to  combine  a  visit  to  Hol- 
land in  the  same  tour  should  certainly  see 
Belgium  in  the  order  here  given  first,  and  then 
proceed  to  Rotterdam,  The  Hague,  Haarlem, 
and  Amsterdam.  For  such  a  sequence,  which 
is  geographically  the  easiest,  is  also  chronolog- 
ically natural.  Bruges  is  the  most  mediaeval 
of  all  the  towns,  and  has  for  its  principal  great 
artist  Memling.  Ghent  comes  next,  with  the 
Van  Eycks  and  a  few  later  painters.  Brussels 
represents  the  end  of  the  Middle  Ages,  and  con- 
tains a  general  metropolitan  collection  of  early 
and  middle  Flemish  art.  Antwerp  gives  us  in 
particular  Quentin  Matsys  and  his  contem- 
poraries, as  well  as  Rubens  and  Van  Dyck. 
And  the  Dutch  towns  lead  us  on  through  Van 
Dyck  and  the  later  transitionals  to  Rembrandt, 
Van  der  Heist,  Frans  Hals,  and  the  other 
mighty  masters  of  Holland.  I  may  add  that 
as  the  arrangement  of  this  Guide  is  roughly 


Order  of  the  Tour  47 

chronological,  the  tourist  will  use  it  best  if  he 
follows  its  order. 

The  Ostend  route  takes  the  towns  naturally 
in  the  sequence  I  suggest.  Visitors  arriving 
by  Harwich  or  Calais  should  not  stop  first  at 
Antwerp  or  Brussels,  but  go  straight  to  Bruges, 
and  then  double  back  again. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


ORIGINS    OF    BRUGES 


IN  a  lost  comer  of  the  great  lowland  flat  of 
Flanders,  defended  from  the  sea  by  an 
artificial  dyke,  and  at  the  point  of  intersection 
of  an  intricate  network  of  canals  and  water- 
ways, there  arose  in  the  early  Middle  Ages  a 
trading  town,  known  in  Flemish  as  Brugge, 
in  French  as  Bruges  (that  is  to  say.  The 
Bridge),  from  a  primitive  structure  that  here 
crossed  the  river.  (A  number  of  bridges  now 
span  the  sluggish  streams.  All  of  them  open 
in  the  middle  to  admit  the  passage  of  shipping.) 
Bruges  stood  originally  on  a  little  river,  the 
Reye,  once  navigable,  now  swallowed  by  canals : 
and  the  Reye  flowed  into  the  Zwin,  long  silted 
up,  but  then  the  safest  harbour  in  the  Low 
Countries.  At  first  the  capital  of  a  petty  count, 
this  landlocked  internal  harbour  grew  in  time 

to  be  the  Venice  of  the  North,  and  to  gather 
48 


Origins  of  Bruges  49 

round  its  quays,  or  at  its  haven  of  Damme,  the 
ships  and  merchandise  of  all  neighbouring 
peoples.  Already  in  1200  it  ranked  as  the  cen- 
tral mart  of  the  Hanseatic  League.  It  was  the 
port  of  entry  for  English  wool  and  Russian 
furs :  the  port  of  departure  for  Flemish  broad- 
cloths, laces,  tapestries,  and  linens.  Canals 
soon  connected  it  with  Ghent,  Dunkirk,  Sluys, 
Furnes,  and  Ypres.  Its  nucleus  lay  in  a  little 
knot  of  buildings  about  the  Grand'  Place  and 
the  Hotel  de  Ville,  stretching  out  to  the 
Cathedral  and  the  Dyver;  thence  it  spread  on 
all  sides  till  in  1362  it  filled  the  whole  space 
within  the  existing  ramparts,  now  largely 
abandoned  or  given  over  to  fields  and  gardens. 
It  was  the  wealthiest  town  of  Europe,  outside 
Italy.  In  the  fourteenth  century,  Bruges 
was  frequently  the  residence  of  the  Counts  of 
Flanders ;  and  in  the  fifteenth,  it  became  the 
seat  of  the  brilliant  court  of  the  Dukes  of 
Burgundy.  Under  their  rule,  the  opulent 
burghers  and  foreign  merchants  began  to  em- 
ploy a  group  of  famous  artists  who  have  made 
the  city  a  place  of  pilgrimage  for  Europe  and 
America,  and  to  adorn  the  town  with  most  of 
those  buildings  which  now  beautify  its  decay. 


50  Belgium  :    Its    Cities 

The  foreign  traders  in  Bruges  lived  in 
"  factories  "  or  guilds,  resembling  monasteries 
or  colleges,  and  were  governed  by  their  own 
commercial  laws.  The  Bardi  of  Florence  were 
among  its  famous  merchants :  the  Medici  had 
agents  here:  so  had  the  millionaire  Fuggers 
of  Augsburg. 

Bruges  is  the  best  place  in  which  to  make 
a  first  acquaintance  with  the  towns  and  art  of 
Flanders,  because  here  almost  all  the  principal 
buildings  are  mediaeval,  and  comparatively 
little  that  is  modern  comes  in  to  mar  the  com- 
pleteness of  the  picture.  We  see  in  it  the  archi- 
tecture and  the  painting  of  Flanders,  in  the 
midst  of  the  houses,  the  land,  and  the  folk  that 
gave  them  origin.  Brussels  is  largely  modern- 
ized, and  even  Ghent  has  great  living  manu- 
factures ;  but  Bruges  is  a  fossil  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  It  was  the  first  to  flourish  and  the 
first  to  decay  of  the  towns  of  Belgium. 

The  decline  of  the  town  was  due  partly  to 
the  break-up  of  the  Hanseatic  system ;  partly  to 
the  rise  of  English  ports  and  manufacturing 
towns;  but  still  more  (and  especially  as  com- 
pared with  other  Flemish  cities)  to  the  silting 
of  the  Zwin,  and  the  want  of  adaptation  in  its 


Origins  of  Bruges  51 

waterways  to  the  needs  of  great  ships  and 
modern  navigation.  The  old  sea  entrance  to 
Bruges  was  through  the  Zwin,  by  way  of  Sluys 
and  Kadzand ;  up  that  channel  came  the  Vene- 
tian merchant  fleet  and  the  Flemish  galleys, 
to  the  port  of  Damme.  By  1470,  it  ceased  to 
be  navigable  for  large  vessels.  The  later  canal 
is  still  open,  but  as  it  passes  through  what  is 
now  Dutch  territory,  it  is  little  used;  nor  is  it 
adapted  to  any  save  ships  of  comparatively 
small  burden.  Another  canal,  suitable  for  craft 
of  five  hundred  tons,  leads  through  Belgian 
territory  to  Ostend ;  but  few  vessels  now  navi- 
gate it,  and  those  for  the  most  part  only  for 
local  trade.  The  town  has  shrunk  to  half  its 
former  size,  and  has  only  a  quarter  of  its 
mediaeval  population.  The  commercial  decay 
of  Bruges,  however,  has  preserved  its  charm 
for  the  artist,  the  archaeologist,  and  the  tourist ; 
its  sleepy  streets  and  unfrequented  quays  are 
among  the  most  picturesque  sights  of  bustling 
and  industrial  modern  Belgium.  The  great 
private  palaces,  indeed,  are  almost  all  des- 
troyed •  many  public  buildings  remain,  and  the 
domestic  architecture  is  quaint  and  pretty. 
Bruges  was  the  mother  of  the  arts  in  Flan- 


52  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

ders.  Jan  van  Eyck  lived  here  from  1428  to 
1440:  Memling,  probably,  from  1477  till  1494. 
Caxton,  the  first  English  printer,  lived  as  a 
merchant  at  Bruges  (in  the  Domus  Anglorum 
or  English  factory)  from  1446  to  1476,  and 
probably  put  in  the  press  here  the  earliest 
English  printed  book  (though  strong  grounds 
have  been  adduced  in  favour  of  Cologne). 
Colard  Mansion,  the  great  printer  of  Bruges 
at  that  date,  was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  art 
of  typography. 

Those  who  desire  further  information  on  this 
most  interesting  town  will  find  it  in  James 
Weale's  "  Bruges  et  ses  Environs,"  an  admira- 
ble work,  to  which  I  desire  to  acknowledge  my 
obligations. 

At  least  two  whole  days  should  be  devoted 
to  Bruges :  more  if  possible.  But  the  hasty 
traveller,  who  has  but  time  for  a  glimpse, 
should  neglect  the  churches,  and  walk  round  the 
Grand'  Place  and  the  Place  du  Bourg  to  the 
Dyver:  spending  most  of  his  time  at  the 
**  Hopital  de  St.  Jean,  which  contains  the 
glorious  works  of  Memling.  These  are  by  far 
the  most  important  objects  to  be  seen  in  the 
city.    The  description  in  this  Guide  is  written 


Origins  of  Bruges  53 

from  the  point  of  view  of  the  more  leisurely 
traveller. 

Expect  the  frequent  recurrence  of  the  fol- 
lowing symbols  on  houses  or  pictures :  First, 
the  Lion  of  Flanders,  heraldic  or  otherwise, 
crowned,  and  bearing  a  collar  with  a  pendant 
cross,  secondly  the  Bear  of  Bruges,  thirdly 
the  Golden  Fleece  {Toison  d'or),  the  device 
of  the  Order  founded  by  Philippe  le  Bon  in 
1430,  and  appropriate  to  a  country  which  owed 
its  wealth  to  wool ;  it  consists  of  a  sheep's  skin 
suspended  from  a  collar.  The  Flemish  emblem 
of  the  Swan  is  also  common  as  a  relief  or  deco- 
ration. 

St.  Donatian,  Archbishop  of  Rheims,  is  the 
patron  saint.  His  mark  is  a  wheel  with  five 
lighted  candles. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    HEART    OF    BRUGES 

THE  original  nucleus  of  Bruges  is  formed 
by  the  Bourg,  which  stands  near  the 
centre  of  the  modern  city.  In  865,  Baldwin 
Bras-de-Fer,  Count  of  Flanders,  built  a 
chateau  or  burg  by  the  Reye,  in  a  comer  of  land 
still  marked  by  the  modern  canal  of  the  Dyver, 
and  near  it  a  chapel,  into  which  he  transported 
the  relics  of  St,  Donatian.  This  burg  grew 
in  time  into  the  chief  palace  of  the  Counts  of 
Flanders,  now  replaced  by  the  Palais  de 
Justice;  while  the  chapel  by  its  side  developed 
into  the  first  cathedral  of  Bruges,  St.  Dona- 
tian, now  wholly  demolished.  A  bridge  hard 
by  crossed  the  little  river  Reye;  and  from  this 
bridge  the  town  ultimately  derives  its  name. 
The  burg  was  built  as  a  tete-du-pont  to  protect 
the  passage.  A  town  of  traders  gradually 
sprang  up  under  the  protection  of  the  castle, 
54 


THE   BELFRY   AND   GRAND'   PLACE,   BRUGES. 


The  Heart  of  Bruges  55 

and  developed  at  last  into  the  great  trading 
port  of  Bruges.  To  this  centre,  then,  we  will 
first  direct  ourselves. 

Go  from  your  hotel,  down  the  Rue  St. 
Amand,  or  the  Rue  St.  Jacques,  to  the  Grand' 
Place  or  market-place  of  Bruges,  noticing  cm 
your  way  the  numerous  handsome  old  houses, 
with  high-pitched  roofs  and  gable-ends  ar- 
ranged like  steps,  mostly  of  the  sixteenth  and 
seventeenth  centuries.  (Bruges  is  a  Flemish- 
speaking  town :  note  the  true  names  of  the 
streets  in  Flemish.) 

The  very  tall  square  tower  which  faces  you 
as  you  enter  the  Grand'  Place  is  the  *  Belfry, 
the  centre  and  visible  embodiment  of  the  town 
of  Bruges.  The  Grand'  Place  itself  was  the 
forum  and  meeting-place  of  the  soldier-citi- 
zens, who  were  called  to  arms  by  the  chimes 
in  the  Belfry.  The  centre  of  the  Place  is  there- 
fore appropriately  occupied  by  a  colossal 
statue  group  (modern)  of  Pieter  de  Coninck 
and  Jan  Breidel,  the  leaders  of  the  citizens  of 
Bruges  at  the  Battle  of  the  Spurs  before  the 
walls  of  Courtrai  in  1302,  a  conflict  which 
secured  the  freedom  of  Flanders  from  the  in- 
terference of  the  Kings  of  France.    The  group 


56  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

is  by  Devigne.  The  reliefs  on  the  pedestal 
represent  scenes  from  the  battle  and  its  ante- 
cedents. 

The  majestic  Belfry  itself  represents  the  first 
beginnings  of  freedom  in  Bruges.  Leave  to 
erect  such  a  bell -tower,  both  as  a  mark  of 
independence  and  to  summon  the  citizens  to 
arms,  was  one  of  the  first  privileges  which 
every  Teutonic  trading  town  desired  to  wring 
from  its  feudal  lord.  This  brick  tower,  the 
pledge  of  municipal  rights,  was  beg^n  in  1291, 
to  replace  an  earlier  one  of  wood,  and  finished 
about  a  hundred  years  later,  the  octagon,  in 
stone,  at  the  summit,  which  holds  the  bells, 
having  been  erected  in  1393  —  96.  It  consists 
of  three  stories,  the  two  lower  of  which  are 
square  and  flanked  by  balconies  with  turrets; 
the  windows  below  are  of  the  simple  Early 
Gothic  style,  but  show  a  later  type  of  archi- 
tecture in  the  octagon.  The  niche  in  the  centre 
contains  the  Virgin  and  Child  (restored,  after 
being  destroyed  by  the  French  revolutionists). 
Below  it  on  either  side  are  smaller  figures 
holding  escutcheons.  From  the  balcony  be- 
tween these  last,  the  laws  and  the  rescripts  of 


The  Heart  of  Bruges  57 

the  counts  were  read  aloud  to  the  people 
assembled  in  the  square. 

The  Belfry  can  be  ascended  by  steps.  Apply 
to  the  concierge;  twenty-five  centimes  per 
person.  Owing  to  the  force  of  the  wind,  it 
leans  slightly  to  the  southeast.  The  *  view 
from  the  top  is  very  extensive  and  striking; 
it  embraces  the  greater  part  of  the  Plain  of 
Flanders,  with  its  towns  and  villages :  the 
country,  though  quite  flat,  looks  beautiful  when 
thus  seen.  In  early  times,  however,  the  look- 
out from  the  summit  was  of  practical  use  for 
purposes  of  observation,  military  or  maritime. 
It  commanded  the  river,  the  Zwin,  and  the  sea 
approach  by  Sluys  and  Damme;  the  course 
of  the  various  canals ;  and  the  roads  to  Ghent, 
Antwerp,  Tournay,  and  Courtrai.  The  Belfry 
contains  a  famous  set  of  chimes,  the  mechanism 
of  which  may  be  inspected  by  the  visitor.  He 
will  have  frequent  opportunities  of  hearing 
the  beautiful  and  mellow  carillon,  perhaps  to 
excess.  The  existing  bells  date  only  from  1680 : 
the  mechanism  from  1784. 

The  square  building  on  either  side  of  the 
Belfry,  known  as  Les  Halles,  was  erected  in 
or  about  1248,  and  is  a  fine  but  sombre  speci- 


58  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

men  of  Early  Gothic  civic  architecture.  The 
wing  to  the  left  was  originally  the  Cloth  Hall, 
for  the  display  and  sale  of  the  woollen  manu- 
factures of  Ghent  and  Bruges.  It  is  now  used 
as  municipal  offices.  The  wing  to  the  right 
is  the  meat  market.  Inside  the  court,  a  door 
to  the  left  gives  access  to  a  small  Museum  of 
Antiquities  on  the  ground  floor,  which  may  be 
safely  neglected  by  all  save  specialist  archaeolo- 
gists.    (Admission,  fifty  centimes.) 

Now,  stand  with  your  back  to  the  Belfry  to 
survey  the  square.  The  brick  building  on  your 
right  is  the  Post  Office  (modern)  ;  the  stone 
one  beyond  it  (also  modern)  is  the  Palace  of 
the  Provincial  Government  of  Flanders.  Both 
have  been  erected  in  a  style  suitable  to  the 
town.  In  the  Middle  Ages,  ships  could  come 
up  to  this  part  of  the  Grand'  Place  to  discharge 
their  cargo.  The  quaint  houses  that  face  you, 
with  high-pitched  gable-ends,  are  partly  mod- 
ern, but  mostly  old,  though  restored.  To  the 
west,  on  the  left  side  of  the  Place,  at  the  corner 
of  the  Rue  St.  Amand,  stands  the  square  castle- 
like building  known  as  Au  Lion  de  Flandre  and 
marked  by  its  gold  lion.  It  is  one  of  the  best 
brick  mediaeval  buildings  in  Bruges.  According 


■tMtir^^i 


■i^^gsit 


X'^s^ 


4r?MB' 


HjpStSISiSBl'lB 


i 


■i 


The  Heart  of  Bruges  59 

to  a  doubtful  tradition,  it  was  occupied  by- 
Charles  11.  of  England  during  his  exile,  when 
he  was  created  by  the  Brugeois  King  of  the 
Crossbowmen  of  St.  Sebastian  (see  later).  In 
the  house  beside  it,  known  as  the  Craenenburg, 
the  citizens  of  Bruges  imprisoned  Maximilian, 
King  of  the  Romans,  from  the  5th  to  the  17th 
of  February,  1488,  because  he  would  not  grant 
the  care  of  his  son  Philip,  heir  to  the  crown 
of  the  Netherlands,  to  the  King  of  France. 
They  only  released  him  after  he  had  sworn 
before  an  altar  erected  at  the  spot,  on  the  Host, 
the  true  Cross,  and  the  Relics  of  St.  Donatian, 
to  renounce  his  claim  to  the  guardianship  of 
his  son,  and  to  grant  a  general  amnesty. 
However,  he  was  treacherously  released  from 
his  oath  by  a  congress  of  princes  convened  a 
little  later  by  his  father,  the  Emperor  Fred- 
eric IV. 

From  the  corner  of  the  Post  OfiEice,  take  the 
short  Rue  Breydel  to  the  Place  du  Bourg,  the 
still  more  intimate  centre  and  focus  of  the  early 
life  in  Bruges.  This  Place  contained  the  old 
Palace  of  the  Counts  of  Flanders,  and  the  orig- 
inal Cathedral,  both  now  destroyed,  as  well 


6o  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

as  the  Town  Hall  and  other  important  buildings 
still  preserved  for  us. 

The  tallest  of  the  three  handsome  edifices 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Square  (profusely 
adorned  with  sculpture)  is  the  **  Hotel  de 
Ville,  a  beautiful  gem  of  Middle  Gothic  archi- 
tecture, begun  about  1376,  and  finished  about 
1387.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  civic 
architecture  in  Belgium.  The  fagade,  though 
overrestored,  and  the  six  beautiful  turrets  and 
chimneys,  are  in  the  main  of  the  original  de- 
sign. The  sculpture  in  the  niches,  destroyed 
during  the  French  Revolution,  has  been  only 
tolerably  replaced  by  modem  Belgian  sculptors 
in  our  own  day.  The  lower  tier  contains  the 
Annunciation,  right  and  left  of  the  doorway, 
with  figures  of  various  saints  and  prophets. 
In  the  tiers  above  this  are  statues  of  the  Counts 
of  Flanders  of  various  ages.  The  reliefs  just 
below  the  windows  of  the  first  floor  represent 
episodes  from  Biblical  history :  —  David  before 
Saul,  David  dancing  before  the  Ark^  the  Judg- 
ment of  Solomon,  the  Building  of  Solomon's 
Temple,  and  other  scenes  which  the  visitor  can 
easily  identify.    The  Great  Hall  in  the  interior 


CHAPELLK   DU   SAINT   SANG,    BRUGES. 


The  Heart  of  Bruges  6 1 

is  interesting  only  for  its  fine  pendant  Gothic 
wooden  roof. 

The  somewhat  lower  building,  to  the  right 
of  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  is  the  **  Chapelle  du 
Saint  Sang.  The  decorated  portal  round  the 
corner  also  forms  part  of  the  same  building. 

In  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries  (age 
of  the  Crusades)  the  chivalrous  and  credulous 
knights  of  the  North  and  West,  who  repaired 
to  the  Holy  Land,  whether  as  pilgrims  or  as 
soldiers  of  the  Faith,  were  anxious  to  bring 
back  with  them  relics  of  the  saints  or  of  still 
more  holy  personages.  The  astute  Greeks  and 
Syrians  with  whom  they  had  to  deal  rose  to 
the  occasion,  and  sold  the  simple  Westerns 
various  sacred  objects  of  more  or  less  doubtful 
authenticity  at  fabulous  prices.  Over  these 
treasured  deposits  stately  churches  were  often 
raised ;  for  example,  St.  Louis  of  France  con- 
structed the  Sainte  Chapelle  in  Paris,  to  contain 
the  Crown  of  Thorns  and  part  of  the  True 
Cross,  which  he  had  purchased  at  an  immense 
cost  from  Baldwin,  Emperor  of  Constantinople. 
Among  the  earlier  visitors  to  the  Holy  Land 
who  thus  signalized  their  journey  was  Theo- 
doric  of  Alsace,  elected  Count  of  Flanders  in 


62  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

1 1 28;  he  brought  back  with  him  in  11 49  some 
drops  of  the  Holy  Blood  of  the  Saviour,  said 
to  have  been  preserved  by  Joseph  of  Arima- 
thea,  which  he  presented  to  his  faithful  city 
of  Bruges.  Fitly  to  enshrine  them,  Theodoric 
erected  a  chapel  in  the  succeeding  year,  11 50; 
and  this  early  church  forms  the  lower  floor 
of  the  existing  building.  Above  it,  in  the 
fifteenth  century,  when  Bruges  grew  richer, 
was  raised  a  second  and  more  gorgeous  chapel 
(as  at  the  Sainte  Chapelle),  in  which  the  holy 
relic  is  now  preserved.  Almost  all  the  works 
of  art  in  the  dainty  little  oratory  accordingly 
bear  special  reference  to  the  Holy  Blood,  its 
preservation,  and  its  transport  to  Bruges.  The 
dedication  is  to  St.  Basil,  the  founder  of  Eastern 
monasticism  —  a  Greek  father  little  known  in 
the  West,  whose  fame  Theodoric  must  have 
learned  in  Syria.  The  nobles  of  Flanders,  it 
must  be  remembered,  were  particularly  active 
in  organizing  the  Crusades. 

The  exterior  has  a  fine  figure  of  St.  Leonard 
(holding  the  fetters  which  are  his  symbol) 
under  a  Gothic  niche.  He  was  the  patron  of 
Christian  slaves  held  in  duress  by  the  Sara- 
cens.    The  beautiful   flamboyant  portal   and 


The  Heart  of  Bruges  63 

staircase,  round  the  corner,  erected  in  1529 — 
1533,  in  the  ornate  decorative  style  of  the 
period,  have  (restored)  figures  of  Crusaders 
and  their  queens  in  niches,  with  incongruous 
Renaissance  busts  below. 

To  visit  the  interior,  ring  the  bell  in  the 
corner :    admission,  fifty  centimes  per  person. 

The  Museum  of  the  Brotherhood  of  the 
Holy  Blood,  on  the  first  floor,  which  we  first 
visit,  contains  by  the  left  wall  the  handsome 
silver-gilt  Reliquary  (of  161 7),  studded  with 
jewels,  which  encloses  the  drops  of  the  Holy 
Blood.  The  figures  on  it  represent  Christ, 
the  source  of  the  Blood,  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
St.  Basil,  patron  of  the  church,  and  St.  Dona- 
tian,  patron  of  the  town.  The  Blood  is  ex- 
hibited in  a  simpler  shrine  in  the  chapel  every 
Friday ;  that  is  to  say,  on  the  day  of  the  Cru- 
cifixion. The  great  Reliquary  itself  is  carried 
in  procession  only,  on  the  Monday  after  the 
third  of  May.  Right  and  left  of  the  shrine 
are  portraits  of  the  members  of  the  Confra- 
ternity of  the  Holy  Blood  by  P.  Pourbus, 
1556:  unusually  good  works  of  this  painter. 
A  triptych  to  the  right,  by  an  unknown  master 
of   the    early    sixteenth    century,    figures    the 


64  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

Crucifixion,  with  special  reference  to  the  Holy 
Blood,  representing  St.  Longinus  in  the  act 
of  piercing  the  side  of  Christ  (thus  drawing 
the  Blood),  with  the  Holy  Women  and  St. 
John  in  attendance;  on  the  wings,  the  Way 
to  Calvary,  and  the  Resurrection. 

Between  the  windows  is  a  curious  chrono- 
logical picture  of  the  late  fifteenth  century, 
representing  the  History  of  Our  Lady  in  the 
usual  stages,  with  other  episodes.  To  the 
right  of  it,  a  painting  of  the  fifteenth  century 
shows  Count  Theodoric  receiving  the  Holy 
Blood  from  his  brother-in-law,  Baldwin,  King 
of  Jerusalem,  and  the  bringing  of  the  Holy 
Blood  to  Bruges. 

On  the  right  wall  there  is  a  famous  *  trip- 
tych  by  Gerard  David  (the  finest  work  here), 
representing  the  Deposition  in  the  Tomb, 
with  the  Maries,  St.  John,  Nicodemus,  and 
an  attendant  holding  a  dish  to  contain  the 
Holy  Blood,  which  is  also  seen  conspicuously 
flowing  from  the  wounds ;  the  left  wing  shows 
the  Magdalen  with  Cleophas;  the  right  wing, 
the  preservation  of  the  Crown  of  Thorns  by 
Joseph  of  Arimathea.     The  portrait  character 


The   Heart  of  Bruges  65 

of  the  faces  is  admirable:  stand  long  and 
study  this  fine  work. 

The  original  designs  for  the  windows  of 
the  Chapel  are  preserved  in  a  glass  case  by 
the  window;  behind  which  are  fragments  of 
early  coloured  glass ;  conspicuous  among  them, 
St.  Barbara  with  her  tower. 

On  the  exit  wall  is  a  fine  piece  of  late  Flem- 
ish tapestry,  representing  the  bringing  of  the 
body  of  St.  Augustine  to  Pavia,  with  side 
figures  of  San  Frediano  of  Lucca  and  Sant' 
Ercolano  of  Perugia  —  executed,  no  doubt, 
for  an  Italian  patron. 

The  Chapel  itself,  which  we  next  enter,  is 
gorgeously  decorated  in  polychrome,  recently 
restored.  The  stained  glass  windows,  contain- 
ing portraits  of  the  Burgundian  princes  from 
the  beginning  of  the  dynasty  down  to  Maria 
Theresa  and  Francis  I.,  were  executed  in  1845 
from  earlier  designs.  The  large  window  fac- 
ing the  High  Altar  is  modern.  It  represents 
appropriately  the  history  of  the  Passion,  the 
origin  of  the  Sacred  Blood,  its  Transference 
to  Bruges,  and  the  figures  of  the  Flemish  Cru- 
saders engaged  in  its  transport.  At  the  summit 
of  the  windowj  notice  the  frequent  and  fitting 


66  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

symbol  of  the  pelican  feeding  its  young  with 
its   own   blood. 

In  the  little  side  chapel  to  the  right,  separated 
from  the  main  building  by  an  arcade  of  three 
arches,  is  the  tabernacle  or  canopy  from  which 
the  Sacred  Blood  is  exhibited  weekly.  Notice 
on  the  steps  the  angels  holding  the  Crown  of 
Thorns.  The  window  to  the  left  (modern) 
represents  St.  Longinus,  the  centurion  who 
pierced  the  side  of  Christ,  and  St.  Veronica, 
displaying  her  napkin  which  she  gave  to  the 
Saviour  to  wipe  his  face  on  the  way  to  Cal- 
vary, and  which  retained  ever  after  the  im- 
press of  the  Divine  Countenance.  Almost  all 
the  other  objects  in  the  chapel  bear  reference, 
more  or  less  direct,  to  the  Holy  Blood.  Ob- 
serve particularly  in  the  main  chapel  the  hand- 
some modern  High  Altar  with  its  coloured 
reliefs  of  scenes  of  the  Passion  and  its  Crown 
of  Thorns  conspicuously  displayed.  Such 
scenes  as  the  Paschal  Lamb  on  its  base,  with 
the  Hebrew  smearing  the  lintel  of  the  door, 
are  of  course  symbolical. 

The  Lower  Chapel,  to  which  we  are  next 
conducted,  is  a  fine  specimen  of  late  Roman- 
esque architecture,  now  in  course  of  restora- 


The  Heart  of  Bruges  67 

tion.  It  was  built  by  Theodoric  in  11 50.  Its 
solid  short  pillars  and  round  arches  contrast  , 
with  the  lighter  and  later  Gothic  of  the  upper 
building.  Notice  as  you  pass  out,  from  the 
Place  outside,  the  two  beautiful  turrets  at  the 
west  end  of  the  main  chapel. 

To  the  left  of  the  Hotel  de  Ville  stands  the 
ornate  and  much  gilded  Renaissance  building, 
known  as  the  *Maison  de  I'Ancien  Greffe,  orig- 
inally the  municipal  record  office^  but  now  em- 
ployed as  a  police-court.  It  bears  the  date 
1537,  and  has  been  recently  restored  and  pro- 
fusely covered  with  gold  decoration.  Over 
the  main  doorway  is  the  Lion  of  Flanders; 
on  the  architrave  of  the  first  floor  are  heads 
of  counts  and  countesses;  and  the  building 
is  surmounted  by  a  figure  of  Justice,  with 
Moses  and  Aaron  and  emblematical  statues. 
Note  the  Golden  Fleece  and  other  symbols. 
The  interior  is  uninteresting. 

The  eastern  side  of  the  square  is  formed  by 
the  Palais  de  Justice,  which  stands  on  the  site 
of  an  old  palace  of  the  Counts  of  Flanders, 
presented  by  Philippe  le  Beau  to  the  Liberty 
of  Bruges,  and  employed  by  them  as  their 
town   hall   of  the   Buitenpoorters,   or   inhab- 


68  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

itants  of  the  district  outside  the  gate,  known 
as  the  Franc  de  Bruges.  The  Renaissance 
building,  erected  between  1520  and  1608,  was 
burnt  down  and  replaced  in  the  eighteenth 
century  by  the  very  uninteresting  existing 
building.  Parts  of  the  old  palace,  however, 
were  preserved^  one  room  in  which  should  be 
visited  for  the  sake  of  its  magnificent  *  *  chim- 
ne}^piece.  In  order  to  see  it,  enter  the  quad- 
rangle: the  porter's  room  faces  you  as  you 
enter;  inquire  there  for  the  key;  admission, 
fifty  centimes  per  person.  The  concierge  con- 
ducts you  to  the  court-room,  belonging  to  the 
original  building.  Almost  the  entire  side  of 
the  room  is  occupied  by  a  splendid  Renais- 
sance chimneypiece,  executed  in  1529,  after 
designs  by  Lancelot  Blondeel  of  Bruges  (a 
painter  whose  works  are  frequent  in  the  town), 
and  Guyot  de  Beaugrant  of  Malines,  for  the 
Council  of  the  Liberty  of  Bruges,  in  honour 
of  Charles  V.,  as  a  memorial  of  the  Treaty 
of  Cambrai,  in  1526.  This  was  the  treaty 
concluded  after  the  battle  of  Pavia,  by  which 
Francis  the  First  of  France  was  compelled  to 
acknowledge  the  independence  of  Flanders. 
Some  of  the  figures   in  the  background  are 


The  Heart  of  Bruges  69 

allusive  to  the  victory.  The  lower  part,  or 
chimneypiece  proper,  is  of  black  marble.  The 
upper  portion  is  of  carved  oak.  The  marble 
part  has  four  bas-reliefs  in  white  alabaster,  by 
Guyot  de  Beaug-rant,  representing  the  History 
of  Susannah,  a  mere  excuse  for  the  nude :  the 
first,  Susannah  and  the  Elders  at  the  Bath; 
the  second,  Susannah  dragged  by  the  Elders 
before  the  Judge;  the  third,  Daniel  before  the 
Judge  exculpating  Susannah;  the  fourth.  The 
Stoning  of  the  Elders.  The  genii  at  the  cor- 
ners are  also  by  Beaugrant.  The  whole  is  in 
the  pagan  taste  of  the  Renaissance.  The  upper 
portion  in  oak  contains  in  the  centre  a  statue 
of  Charles  V.,  represented  in  his  capacity  as 
Count  of  Flanders  (as  shown  by  the  arms  on 
his  cuirass)  :  the  other  figures  represent  his 
descent  and  the  cumulation  of  sovereignties 
in  his  person.  On  the  throne  behind  Charles 
(ill  seen)  are  busts  of  Philippe  le  Beau,  his 
father,  through  whom  he  inherited  the  Bur- 
gundian  dominions^  and  Johanna  (the  Mad) 
of  Spain,  his  mother,  through  whom  he  in- 
herited the  united  Peninsula.  The  statues  on 
the  left  and  right  are  those  of  his  actual  royal 
predecessors.     The  figures  to  the  left  are  his 


yo  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

paternal  grandfather,  the  Emperor  Maxi- 
miUan,  from  whom  he  derived  his  German 
territories,  and  his  paternal  grandmother, 
*  Mary  of  Burgundy,  who  brought  into  the 
family  Flanders,  Burgundy,  etc.  Mary  is 
represented  with  a  hawk  on  her  wrist,  as  she 
was  killed  at  twenty-five  by  a  fall  from  her 
horse  while  out  hawking.  (We  shall  see  her 
tomb  later  at  Notre-Dame.)  The  figures  on 
the  right  are  those  of  Ferdinand  of  Aragon 
and  Isabella  of  Castile,  the  maternal  grand- 
father and  grandmother  of  Charles,  from 
whom  he  inherited  the  two  portions  of  his 
Spanish  dominions.  The  medallions  at  the 
back  represent  the  personages  most  concerned 
in  the  Treaty  of  Cambrai,  and  the  Victory  of 
Pavia  which  rendered  it  possible,  —  De  Lan- 
noy,  the  conqueror,  to  whom  Francis  gave  up 
his  sword,  and  Margaret  of  Austria.  The  tap- 
estry which  surrounds  the  hall  is  modern;  it 
was  manufactured  at  Ingelmiinster  after  the 
pattern  of  a  few  old  fragments  found  in  the 
cellars  of  the  ancient  building.  The  medi- 
ocre painting  on  the  wall  depicts  a  sitting  of 
the  court  of  the  Liberty  of  Bruges  in  this  room 
(1659). 


The  Heart  of  Bruges  71 

The  northern  side  of  the  square  is  now  oc- 
cupied by  a  small  Place  planted  with  trees. 
Originally,  however,  the  old  cathedral  of 
Bruges  occupied  this  site.  It  was  dedicated 
to  St.  Donatian,  the  patron  of  the  city,  whose 
relics  were  preserved  in  it;  but  it  was  bar- 
barously destroyed  by  the  French  Revolution- 
ary army  in  1799,  and  the  works  of  art  which 
it  contained  were  dispersed  or  ruined.  Fig- 
ures of  St.  Donatian  occur  accordingly  in  many 
paintings  at  Bruges.  Jan  van  Eyck  was  buried 
in  this  cathedral,  and  a  statue  has  been  erected 
to  him  under  the  trees  in  the  little  Place.  In 
order,  therefore,  mentally  to  complete  the  pic- 
ture of  the  Place  dtt  Bourg  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  we  must  imagine  not  only  the  Hotel 
de  Ville,  the  Chapelle  du  Saint  Sang,  and  the 
Ancien  Greffe  in  something  approaching  their 
existing  condition,  but  also  the  stately  cathe- 
dral and  the  original  Renaissance  building  of 
the  Franc  de  Bruges  filling  in  the  remainder. 

An  archway  spans  the  space  between  the 
Ancien  Grefife  and  the  Hotel  de  Ville.  Take 
the  narrow  street  which  dives  beneath  it,  look- 
ing back  as  you  pass  at  the  archway  with  its 
inscription  of  S.  P.  Q.  B.   (for  Senatus  Popu- 


72  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

lusque  Brugensis).  The  street  then  leads 
across  a  bridge  over  the  river  Reye  or  prin- 
cipal canal,  and  affords  a  good  view  of  the 
back  of  the  earlier  portion  of  the  Palais  de 
Justice,  with  its  picturesque  brick  turrets,  and 
a  few  early  arches  belonging  to  the  primitive 
palace.  I  recommend  the  visitor  to  turn  to  the 
right  after  crossing  the  bridge,  traverse  the 
little  square,  and  make  his  way  home  by  the 
bank  of  the  Dyver  and  the  Church  of  Notre- 
Dame.  The  view  toward  the  Hotel  de  Ville 
and  the  Belfry,  from  the  part  of  the  Dyver 
a  little  to  the  east  behind  the  Belfry,  is  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  and  striking  in  Bruges. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    HOSPITAL    OF    ST.    JOHN 

THE  Hospital  of  St.  John,  one  of  the  most 
ancient  institutions  in  Bruges,  or  of  its 
kind  in  Europe,  was  founded  not  later  than 
1 1 88,  and  still  retains,  within  and  without, 
its  mediaeval  arrangement.  Its  Augustinian 
brothers  and  nuns  tend  the  sick  in  the  primitive 
building,  now  largely  added  to.  It  derives  its 
chief  interest  for  the  tourist,  however,  from 
its  small  Picture  Gallery,  the  one  object  in 
Bruges  which  must  above  everything  else  be 
visited.  This  is  the  only  place  for  studying 
in  full  the  exquisite  art  of  Memling,  whose 
charming  and  poetical  work  is  here  more  fully 
represented  than  elsewhere.  In  this  respect  the 
Hospital  of  St.  John  may  be  fitly  compared 
with  the  two  other  famous  "  one-man  shows  " 
of  Europe  —  the  Fra  Angelicos  at  San  Marco 
in  Florence,  and  the  Giottos  in  the  Madonna 
73 


74  Belgium  :    Its    Cities 

deir  Arena  at  Padua.  Many  of  the  pictures 
were  painted  for  the  institution  which  they  still 
adorn;  so  that  we  have  here  the  opportunity 
of  seeing  works  of  mediaeval  art  in  the  precise 
surroundings  which  first  produced  them. 

Hans  Memling,  whose  name  is  also  written 
Memlinc  and  Memlin,  etc.  (long  erroneously 
cited  as  Hemling^  through  a  mistaken  reading 
of  the  initial  in  his  signature)  is  a  painter  of 
whom  little  is  known,  save  his  work ;  but  the 
work  is  the  man,  and  therefore  amply  sufficient. 
He  was  born  about  1430,  perhaps  in  Germany, 
and  is  believed  to  have  been  a  pupil  of  Roger 
van  der  Weyden,  the  Brussels  painter,  whose 
work  we  shall  see  later  at  Antwerp  and  else- 
where. Mr.  Weale  has  shown  that  he  is  a  per- 
son of  some  wealth,  settled  at  Bruges  in  his  own 
house  (about  1478),  and  in  a  position  to  lend 
money  to  the  town.  He  died  in  1495.  His 
period  of  activity  as  a  painter  is  thus  coincident 
with  the  earlier  work  of  Carpaccio  and  Peru- 
gino  in  Italy ;  he  died  while  Raphael  was  still  a 
boy.  In  relation  to  the  artists  of  his  own 
country,  whose  works  we  have  still  to  see. 
Memling  was  junior  by  more  than  a  generation 
to  Jan  van  Eyck,  having  been  born  about  ten 


The  Hospital  of  St.  John       75 

years  before  Van  Eyck  died;  he  was  also 
younger  by  thirty  years  than  Roger  van  der 
Weyden;  and  by  twenty  or  thirty  years  than 
Dierick  Bouts;  but  older  by  at  least  twenty 
than  Gerard  David.  Memling  has  been  called 
the  Fra  Angelico  of  Flanders ;  but  this  is  only 
true  so  far  as  regards  Fra  Angelico's  panel 
works;  the  saintly  Frate,  when  he  worked  in 
fresco,  adopted  a  style  wholly  different  from 
that  which  he  displays  in  his  miniature-like 
altar-pieces.  It  would  be  truer  to  say  that 
Memling  is  the  Benozzo  Gozzoli  of  the  North : 
he  has  the  same  love  of  decorative  adjuncts, 
and  the  same  naive  delight  in  the  beauty  of 
external  nature. 

Before  visiting  the  Hospital  it  is  also  well 
to  be  acquainted  in  outline  with  the  history  of 
St.  Ursula,  whose  shrine  forms  one  of  its 
greatest  treasures.  The  Hospital  possessed  an 
important  relic  of  the  saint  —  her  holy  arm  — 
and  about  1480 — 1489  commissioned  Memling 
to  paint  scenes  from  her  life  on  the  shrine  des- 
tined to  contain  this  precious  deposit.  The 
chest  or  reliquary  which  he  adorned  for  the 
purpose  forms  the  very  best  work  of  Memling's 
lifetime. 


76  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

St.  Ursula  was  a  princess  of  Brittany, 
brought  up  as  a  Christian  by  her  pious  parents. 
She  was  sought  in  marriage  by  a  pagan  prince, 
Conon,  said  to  be  the  son  of  a  king  of  England. 
The  EngHsh  king,  called  Agrippinus  in  the 
legend,  sent  ambassadors  to  the  King  of  Brit- 
tany asking  for  the  hand  of  Ursula  for  his 
heir.  But  Ursula  made  three  conditions: 
first,  that  she  should  be  given  as  companions 
ten  noble  virgins,  and  that  she  herself  and  each 
of  the  virgins  should  be  accompanied  by  a 
thousand  maiden  attendants ;  second,  that  they 
should  all  together  visit  the  shrines  of  the 
saints;  and  third,  that  the  Prince  Conon  and  all 
his  court  should  receive  baptism.  These  condi- 
tions were  complied  with ;  the  King  of  England 
collected  eleven  thousand  virgins ;  and  Ursula, 
with  her  companions,  sailed  for  Cologne,  where 
she  arrived  miraculously  without  the  assistance 
of  sailors.  Memling,  however,  adds  them  to 
the  painting.  Here,  she  had  a  vision  of  an 
angel  bidding  her  to  repair  to  Rome,  the 
threshold  of  the  apostles.  From  Cologne,  the 
pilgrims  went  up  the  Rhine  by  boat,  till  they 
arrived  at  Basle,  where  they  disembarked  and 
continued  their  journey  on  foot  over  the  Alps 


The  Hospital  of  St.   John       77 

to  Italy.  At  length  they  reached  the  Tiber, 
which  they  descended  till  they  approached  the 
walls  of  Rome.  There,  the  Pope,  St.  Cyriacus, 
went  forth  with  all  his  clergy  in  procession  to 
meet  them.  He  gave  them  his  blessing,  and 
lest  the  maidens  should  come  to  harm  in  so 
wicked  a  city,  he  had  tents  pitched  for  them 
outside  the  walls  on  the  side  toward  Tivoli. 
Meanwhile,  Prince  Conon  had  come  on  pil- 
grimage by  a  different  route,  and  arrived  at 
Rome  on  the  same  day  as  his  betrothed.  He 
knelt  with  Ursula  at  the  feet  of  the  Pope,  and, 
being  baptized,  received  in  exchange  the  name 
of  Ethereus. 

After  a  certain  time  spent  in  Rome,  the  holy 
maidens  bethought  them  to  return  home  again. 
Thereupon,  Pope  Cyriacus  decided  to  accom- 
pany them,  together  with  his  cardinals,  arch- 
bishops, bishops,  patriarchs,  and  many  others 
of  his  prelates.  They  crossed  the  Alps,  em- 
barked again  at  Basle,  and  made  their  way 
northward  as  far  as  Cologne.  Now  it  happened 
that  the  army  of  the  Huns  was  at  that  time 
besieging  the  Roman  colony;  and  the  pagans 
fell  upon  the  eleven  thousand  virgins,  with  the 
Pope    and    their    other    saintly    companions. 


78  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

Prince  Ethereiis  was  one  of  the  first  to  die; 
then  Cyriacus,  the  bishops,  and  the  cardinals 
perished.  Last  of  all,  the  pagans  turned  upon 
the  virgins,  all  of  whom  they  slew,  save  only 
St.  Ursula.  Her  they  carried  before  their  king, 
who,  beholding  her  beauty,  would  fain  have 
wedded  her.  But  Ursula  sternly  refused  the 
offer  of  this  son  of  Satan ;  whereupon  the  king, 
seizing  his  bow,  transfixed  her  breast  with  three 
arrows.  Hence  her  symbol  is  an  arrow  ;  also, 
she  is  the  patroness  of  young  girls  and  of  vir- 
gins, so  that  her  shrine  is  particularly  appro- 
priate in  a  nunnery. 

Most  of  the  bones  of  St.  Ursula  and  her 
eleven  thousand  virgins  are  preserved  at 
Cologne,  the  city  of  her  martyrdom,  where  they 
are  ranged  in  cases  round  the  walls  of  a  church 
dedicated  in  her  honour;  but  her  arm  is  here, 
and  a  few  other  relics  are  distributed  elsewhere. 

The  Hospital  is  open  daily  from  nine  to  six ; 
Sundays,  three  to  six.  One  franc  per  person. 
If  you  have  Conway,  take  it  with  you. 

From  the  Grand'  Place,  turn  down  the  Rue 
des  Pierres,  the  principal  shopping  street  of 
Bruges,  with  several  fine  old  facades,  many  of 
them  dated.    At  the  Place  Simon  Stevin  turn 


HOSPITAL  OF  ST.  JOHN,  BRUGES. 


The  Hospital  of  St.  John       79 

to  the  left,  and  go  straight  on  as  far  as  the 
church  of  Notre  Dame.  The  long  brick  build- 
ing with  Gothic  arches,  on  your  right,  is  the 
**  Hospital  of  St.  John,  the  Evangelist. 

First,  examine  the  brick  Gothic  exterior. 
Over  the  outer  doorway  is  the  figure  of  a 
bishop  with  a  flaming  heart,  the  emblem  of  St. 
Augustine,  this  being  an  Augustinian  hospital. 
Continue  on  to  the  original  main  portal  (now 
bricked  up)  with  a  broken  pillar  and  two  thir- 
teenth century  reliefs  in  the  tympanum.  That 
to  the  right  represents  the  Death  of  the  Virgin, 
with  the  Apostles  grouped  around,  and  the  fig- 
ure of  the  Christ  receiving  her  naked  new-bom 
soul  as  usual.  Above  is  the  Coronation  of  Our 
Lady.  That  to  the  left  seems  like  a  reversed 
and  altered  replica  of  the  same  subject,  with 
perhaps  the  Last  Judgment  above  it.  It  is, 
however,  so  much  dilapidated  that  identification 
is  difficult.  Perhaps  the  top  is  a  Glory  of  St. 
Ursula.  Go  on  as  far  as  the  little  bridge  over 
the  canal,  to  inspect  the  picturesque  river  front 
of  the  Hospital. 

Return  to  the  main  portal  and  ring  the  inner 
bell.  Admission,  see  above.  The  pictures  are 
collected  in  the  former  Chapter-house  of  the 


8o  Belgium  :   Its    Cities 

Hospital,  above  the  door  of  which  is  another 
figure  of  St.  Augustine. 

The  centre  of  the  room  is  occupied  by  the 
famous  **  shrine  containing  the  arm  of  St. 
Ursula,  a  dainty  little  Gothic  chapel  in  minia- 
ture. It  is  painted  with  exquisite  scenes  from 
the  legend,  by  Memling,  with  all  the  charm  of 
a  fairy  tale.  He  treats  it  as  a  poetical  romance. 
Begin  the  story  on  the  side  toward  the  window. 
(For  a  penetrating  criticism  of  these  works,  see 
Conway. ) 

In  the  first  panel,  on  the  left,  St.  Ursula  and 
her  maidens,  in  the  rich  dress  of  the  Burgun- 
dian  court  of  the  fifteenth  century,  arrive  at 
Cologne,  the  buildings  of  which  are  seen  in  the 
background,  correctly  represented,  but  not  in 
their  true  relations.  In  a  window  in  the  back- 
ground to  the  right,  the  angel  appears  to  St. 
Ursula  in  a  vision. 

In  the  second  panel,  the  virgins  arrive  at 
Basle  and  disembark  from  the  ships.  In  the 
background,  they  are  seen  preparing  to  make 
their  way,  one  by  one,  across  the  Alps,  which 
rise  from  low  hills  at  the  base  to  snowy  moun- 
tains. From  another  ship  Conon  and  his 
knights  are  disembarking. 


MEMLING.  —  SHRINE    OF    ST.    URSULA. 


The  Hospital  of  St.  John       8 1 

In  the  third  and  most  beautiful  panel,  the 
maidens  arrive  at  Rome.  In  the  distance  they 
are  seen  entering  the  city  through  a  triumphal 
arch;  in  the  foreground,  St.  Ursula  kneels 
before  St.  Cyriacus  and  his  bishops,  with  their 
attendant  deacons,  all  the  faces  having  the 
character  of  portraits.  Note  especially  the  fat 
and  jolly  ecclesiastic  just  under  the  arch. 
At  the  same  time,  her  betrothed,  Conon,  with 
his  knights,  arrives  at  Rome  by  a  different  road, 
and  is  seen  kneeling  in  a  red  robe  trimmed  with 
rich  fur  beside  St.  Ursula.  Note  the  fine  por- 
trait faces  of  Conon  and  an  old  courtier  behind 
him.  The  Pope  and  his  priests  are  gathered 
under  the  portals  of  a  beautiful  round-arched 
building,  whose  exquisite  architecture  should 
be  closely  examined.  To  the  extreme  right 
the  new  converts  and  Conon  receive  baptism 
naked  in  fonts  after  the  early  fashion.  In  the 
background  of  this  scene,  St.  Ursula  receives 
the  Sacrament.  She  may  be  recognized 
throughout  by  her  peculiar  blue-and-white 
dress,  with  its  open  sleeves.  To  the  left  of  her, 
Conon  makes  confession.  In  this,  as  in  the 
other  scenes,  several  successive  moments  of  the 


82  Belgium  :   Its    Cities 

same  episode  are  contemporaneously  repre- 
sented.   Look  long  at  it. 

Now,  turn  round  the  shrine,  which  swings 
freely  on  a  pivot,  to  see  the  scenes  of  the  return 
journey,  beginning  again  at  the  left.  In  the 
first  panel,  the  Pope  and  his  bishops  and  car- 
dinals embark  with  St.  Ursula  in  the  boat  at 
Basle  on  their  way  to  Cologne.  Three  episodes 
are  here  conjoined :  the  Pope  cautiously  step- 
ping into  a  ship;  the  Pope  seated;  the  ship 
sailing  down  the  Rhine.  All  the  faces  here, 
and  especially  the  timid  old  Pope  stepping  into 
the  boat,  deserve  careful  examination.  In  the 
background,  the  return  over  the  Alps. 

In  the  *  second  panel,  the  maidens  and  the 
Pope  arrive  at  Cologne,  where  they  are  in- 
stantly set  upon  by  the  armed  Huns.  Conon 
is  slain  by  the  thrust  of  a  sword,  and  falls 
back  dying  in  the  arms  of  St.  Ursula.  Many 
of  the  maidens  are  also  slaughtered. 

The  *  third  panel  is  continuous  with  the  last, 
but  represents  a  subsequent  moment:  the 
Martyrdom  of  St.  Ursula.  The  King  of  the 
Huns,  in  full  armour,  at  the  door  of  his  tent, 
bends  his  bow  to  shoot  the  blessed  martyr,  who 
has  refused  his  advances.    Around  are  grouped 


The  Hospital  of  St.  John       83 

his  knig-hts  in  admirably  painted  armour. 
(Note  the  reflections.)  All  the  scenes  have 
the  character  of  a  mediaeval  romance.  For  their 
open-air  tone  and  make-beHeve  martyrdom, 
see  Conway. 

At  the  ends  of  the  shrine  are  two  other 
pictures.  The  first  is^  *  St.  Ursula  with  her 
arrow,  as  the  protectress  of  young  girls,  shel- 
tering a  number  of  them  under  her  cloak  (not, 
as  is  commonly  said,  the  eleven  thousand  vir- 
gins). Similar  protecting  figures  of  the  saint 
are  common  elsewhere  (Cluny,  Bologna,  etc.). 
At  the  opposite  end  is  the  second,  —  the  Ma- 
donna and  Child  with  the  apple,  and  at  her 
feet  two  Augustinian  nuns  of  this  Hospital, 
kneeling,  to  represent  the  devotion  of  the  order. 

The  roof  of  the  shrine  is  also  decorated  with 
pictures.  First,  St.  Ursula  receiving  the  crown 
of  martyrdom  from  God  the  Father,  with  the 
Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost;  at  the  sides,  two 
angels  playing  the  mandoline  and  the  regal  or 
portable  organ ;  second,  St  Ursula  in  Paradise, 
bearing  her  arrow,  and  surrounded  by  her 
maidens,  who  shared  her  martyrdom,  together 
with  the  Pope  and  other  ecclesiastics  in  the 
background.    This  picture  is  largely  borrowed 


84  Belgium  :   Its    Cities 

from  the  famous  one  by  Stephan  Lochner  on 
the  High  Ahar  of  Cologne  Cathedral,  known 
as  the  Dombild.  If  you  are  going  on  to 
Cologne,  buy  a  photograph  of  this  now,  to  com- 
pare with  Meister  Stephan  later.  His  altar- 
piece  is  engraved  in  Conway,  If  you  have  it 
with  you  compare  them.  At  the  sides  are  two 
angels,  drawn  possibly  by  a  pupil,  playing  the 
zither  and  the  violin. 

I  have  given  a  brief  description  only  of  these 
pictures,  but  every  one  of  them  ought  to  be 
carefully  examined,  and  the  character  of  the 
figures  and  of  the  landscape  or  architectural 
background  noted.  You  will  see  nothing  love- 
lier in  all  Flanders. 

Near  the  window  by  the  entrance  is  a 
**  Triptych,  also  by  Memling,  commissioned 
by  Brother  Jan  Floreins  of  this  Hospital.  The 
central  panel  represents  the  Adoration  of  the 
Magi,  which  takes  place,  as  usual,  under  a 
ruined  temple  fitted  up  as  a  manger.  The 
Eldest  of  the  Three  Kings,  according  to  prec- 
edent, is  kneeling  and  has  presented  his  gift; 
Joseph,  recognizable  in  all  three  panels  by  his 
red-and-black  robe,  stands  erect  behind  him, 
with   the  presented   gift   in   his  hands.     The 


The  Hospital  of  St.  John        85 

Middle-aged  King,  arrayed  in  cloth  of  gold, 
with  a  white  tippet,  kneels  with  his  gift  to  the 
left  of  the  picture.  The  Young  King,  a  black 
man,  as  always,  is  entering  with  his  gift  to  the 
right.  The  three  thus  typify  the  Three  Ages 
of  Man,  and  also  the  three  known  continents, 
Europe,  Asia,  Africa.  On  the  left  side  of  this 
central  panel  are  figured  the  donor,  Jan 
Floreins,  and  his  brother  Jacob.  (Members 
of  the  same  family  are  grouped  in  the  well- 
known  "  Duchatel  Madonna,"  also  by  Mem- 
ling,  in  the  Louvre.)  To  the  right  is  a  figure 
looking  in  at  a  window  and  wearing  the  yellow 
cap  still  used  by  convalescents  of  the  Hospital 
(arbitrarily  said  to  be  a  portrait  of  Memling). 
The  left  p^nel  represents  the  Nativity,  with 
our  Lady,  St.  Joseph,  and  two  adoring  angels. 
The  right  panel  shows  the  Presentation  in  the 
Temple,  with  Simeon  and  Anna,  and  St.  Joseph 
(in  red  and  black)  in  the  background.  The 
whole  thus  typifies  the  Epiphany  of  Christ; 
left,  to  the  Blessed  Virgin ;  centre,  to  the  Gen- 
tiles; right,  to  the  Jews.  The  outer  panels, 
in  pursuance  of  the  same  idea,  have  figures, 
right,  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  with  the  lamb 
(he  pointed  out  Christ  to  the  Jews),  with  the 


86  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Baptism  of  Christ  in  the  background;  and 
left,  St.  Veronica,  who  preserved  for  us  the 
features  of  our  Lord,  displaying  his  divine  face 
on  her  napkin.  The  architectural  frame  shows 
the  First  Sin  and  the  Expulsion  from  Para- 
dise. Note  everywhei^e  the  strong  character 
in  the  men's  faces,  and  the  exquisite  landscape 
or  architectural  backgrounds.  Dated  1479. 
This  is  Memling's  finest  altar-piece:  its  glow 
of  colour  is  glorious. 

By  the  centre  window,  a  *  triptych,  doubt- 
fully attributed  to  Memling,  represents,  in  the 
centre,  the  Deposition  from  the  Cross,  with 
the  Holy  Blood  conspicuous,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected in  a  Bruges  work.  In  the  foreground 
are  St.  John,  the  Madonna,  and  St.  Mary 
Magdalene;  in  the  background,  the  prepara- 
tions from  the  Deposition  in  the  Tomb.  On  the 
wings :  left.  Brother  Adrian  Reins,  the  donor, 
with  his  patron  saint,  Adrian,  bearing  his 
symbol,  the  anvil,  on  which  his  limbs  were 
struck  off,  and  with  his  lion  at  his  feet ;  right, 
St.  Barbara  with  her  tower^  perhaps  as  patron- 
ess of  armourers.  On  the  exterior  wings,  left, 
St.    Wilgefortis    with    her   tau-shaped    cross; 


MEMLING. MARTIN    VAN    NIEUWENHOVEN. 


The  Hospital  of  St.  John       87 

right,  St.  Mary  of  Egypt,  with  the  three  loaves 
which  sustained  her  in  the  desert. 

On  the  same  stand  is  the  beautiful  *  diptych 
by  Memling,  representing  Martin  van  Nieu- 
wenhoven  adoring  the  Madonna.  The  left 
panel  represents  Our  Lady  and  the  Child,  with 
an  apple,  poised  on  a  beautifully  painted 
cushion.  A  convex  mirror  in  the  background 
reflects  the  backs  of  the  figures,  as  in  the  Van 
Eyck  of  the  National  Gallery.  Through  the 
open  window  is  seen  a  charming  distant 
prospect.  The  right  panel  has  the  fine  portrait 
of  the  donor,  in  a  velvet  dress  painted  with 
extreme  realism.  Note  the  admirable  prayer- 
book  and  joined  hands.  At  his  back,  a  stained 
glass  window  shows  his  patron,  St.  Martin, 
dividing  his  cloak  for  the  beggar.  Below,  a 
lovely  glimpse  of  landscape.  This  is  probably 
Memling's  most  successful  portrait.  Dated 
1487 :  brought  here  from  the  Hospice  of  St. 
Julian,  of  which  Martin  was  Master. 

In  all  Flemish  art,  observe  now  the  wooden 
face  of  the  Madonna  —  ultimately  derived,  I 
believe,  from  imitation  of  painted  wooden 
figures,  and  then  hardened  into  a  type.  As  a 
rule,  the  Madonna  is  the  least  interesting  part 


88  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

of  all  Flemish  painting;  and  after  her,  the 
women,  especially  the  young  ones.  The  men's 
faces  are  best,  and  better  when  old :  character, 
not  beauty,  is  what  the  painter  cares  for. 
This  is  most  noticeable  in  Van  Eyck,  but  is 
true  in  part  even  of  Memling. 

At  the  end  of  the  room  is  the  magnificent 
*  triptych  painted  by  Memling  for  the  High 
Altar  of  the  Church  of  this  Hospital.  This  is 
the  largest  of  his  workSj  and  it  is  dedicated  to 
the  honour  of  the  two  saints,  John  the  Evan- 
gelist and  John  the  Baptist,  who  are  patrons 
of  the  Hospital.  The  central  panel  represents 
Our  Lady,  seated  in  an  exquisite  cloister,  on  a 
throne  backed  with  cloth  of  gold.  To  the  right 
and  left  are  two  exquisite  angels,  one  of  whom 
plays  a  regal,  while  the  other,  in  a  delicious  pale 
blue  robe,  holds  a  book  for  Our  Lady.  Two 
smaller  angels,  poised  in  air,  support  her  crown. 
To  the  left,  St.  Catherine  of  Alexandria  kneels 
as  princess,  with  the  broken  wheel  and  the 
sword  of  her  martyrdom  at  her  feet.  The  Child 
Christ  places  a  ring  on  her  finger ;  whence  the 
whole  composition  is  often  absurdly  called 
"  The  Marriage  of  St.  Catherine."  It  should 
Lfe  styled   "  The  Altar-piece  of  the  St.  Johns." 


The  Hospital  of  St.  John       89 

To  the  right  is  St,  Barbara,  calmly  reading, 
with  her  tower  behind  her.  When  these  two 
saints  are  thus  combined,  they  represent  the 
meditative  and  the  active  hfe  (as  St.  Barbara 
was  the  patroness  of  arms),  or,  more  definitely, 
the  clergy  and  the  knighthood.  Hence  their 
appropriateness  to  an  institution,  half  monastic, 
half  secular.  In  the  background  stand  the  two 
patron  saints;  St.  John  the  Baptist  with  the 
lamb  (Memling's  personal  patron),  to  the  left, 
and  St.  John  the  Evangelist  with  the  cup  and 
serpent,  to  the  right.  (For  these  symbols,  see 
Mrs.  Jameson.)  Behind  the  Baptist  are  scenes 
from  his  life  and  preaching.  He  is  led  to 
prison,  and  his  body  is  burned  by  order  of 
Julian  the  Apostate.  Behind  the  Evangelist,  he 
is  seen  in  the  cauldron  of  boiling  oil.  The 
small  figure  in  black  to  the  right  is  the  chief 
donor.  Brother  Jan  Floreins,  who  is  seen 
further  back  in  his  secular  capacity  as  public 
ganger  of  wine,  near  a  great  crane,  which 
affords  a  fine  picture  of  mercantile  life  in  old 
Bruges.  The  left  wing  represents  the  life  of 
St.  John  the  Baptist.  In  the  distance  is  seen 
the  Baptism  of  Christ.  In  a  room  to  the  left, 
the  daughter  of  Herodias  dances  before  Herod. 


(^  Belgium :    Its   Cities 

The  foreground  is  occupied  by  the  episode  of 
the  Decollation,  treated  in  a  courtly  manner, 
very  redolent  of  the  Burgundian  splendour. 
Figures  and  attitudes  are  charming :  only,  the 
martyrdom  sinks  into  insignificance  beside  the 
princess's  collar.  Other  minor  episodes  may 
be  discovered  by  inspection.  The  episodes  on 
either  wing  overflow  into  the  main  pictures. 
The  right  wing  shows  St.  John  the  Evangelist 
in  Patmos,  writing  the  Apocalypse,  various 
scenes  from  which  are  realistically  and  too 
solidly  represented  above  him,  without  poetical 
insight.  Memling  here  attempts  to  transcend 
his  powers.  He  has  no  sublimity.  On  the 
exterior  of  the  wings  are  seen  the  four  other 
members  of  the  society  who  were  donors  of 
the  altar-piece;  Anthony  Zeghers,  master  of 
the  Hospital,  with  his  patron,  St.  Anthony, 
known  by  his  pig  and  tau-shaped  crutch  and 
bell ;  Jacob  de  Cueninc,  treasurer,  accompanied 
by  his  patron,  St.  James  the  Greater,  with  his 
pilgrim's  stafif  and  scallop-shell ;  Agnes  Casern- 
brood,  mistress  of  the  Hospital,  with  her  patron, 
St.  Agnes,  known  by  her  lamb;  and  Claire 
van  Hulsen,  a  sister,  with  her  patron,  St.  Clara. 
Dated,  1479. 


MEMLING.  —  ST.  JOHN   THE   EVANGELIST. 


The  Hospital  of  St.  John       91 

By  the  entrance  door  is  a  Portrait  of  Marie 
Moreel,  represented  as  a  Sibyl.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  Willem  Moreel  or  Morelli,  a  patron 
of  Memling,  whom  we  shall  meet  again  at  the 
Museum.  This  is  a  fine  portrait  of  a  solid, 
plain  body,  a  good  deal  spoiled  by  attempted 
cleaning.  It  comes  from  the  Hospice  of  St. 
Julian. 

As  you  go  out  cast  a  glance  at  the  fine  old 
brick  buildings,  and  note  the  cleanliness  of  all 
the  arrangements. 

Return  more  than  once:  do  not  be  satisfied 
with  a  single  visit. 

The  other  pictures  and  objects  formerly 
exhibited  in  this  Hospital  have  been  transferred 
to  the  Potterie  and  another  building.  They 
need  only  be  visited  by  those  whose  time  is 
ample. 

After  leaving  the  Hospital,  I  do  not  advise 
an  immediate  visit  to  the  Academy.  Let  the 
Memlings  first  sink  into  your  mind.  But  the 
walk  may  be  prolonged  by  crossing  the  canal, 
and  taking  the  second  turning  to  the  right, 
which  leads,  over  a  pretty  bridge  of  three 
arches,  to  the  Beguinage,  a  lay-nunnery  for 
ladies  who  take  no  vows,  but  who  live  in  mo- 


g2  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

nastic  fashion  under  the  charge  of  a  Superior. 
Above  the  gateway  is  a  figure  of  St.  Elizabeth 
of  Hungary,  to  whom  the  church  within  is 
dedicated,  giving  alms  to  a  beggar.  She  wears 
her  crown,  and  carries  in  her  hand  the  crown 
and  book  which  are  her  symbol.  Remember 
these,  —  they  will  recur  later.  Pass  under  the 
gateway  and  into  the  grass-grown  precincts 
for  an  external  glimpse  of  the  quiet  old-world 
close,  with  its  calm  whitewashed  houses.  The 
church  dedicated  to  St.  Elizabeth  is  uninter- 
esting. Tliis  walk  may  be  further  prolonged 
by  the  pretty  bank  of  the  Lac  d' Amour  or 
Minnewater  as  far  as  the  external  canal,  re- 
turning by  the  ramparts  and  the  picturesque 
Porte  de  Gand. 


CHAPTER  VIL 

THE   TOWN    OF    BRUGES   IN    GENERAL 

THE  town  of  Bruges  itself  is  more  interest- 
ing, after  all,  than  almost  any  one  thing 
in  it.  Vary  your  day  by  giving  up  the  morning 
to  definite  sightseeing,  and  devoting  the  after- 
noon to  strolls  through  the  town  and  neigh- 
bourhood, in  search  of  picturesqueness.  I 
subjoin  a  few  stray  hints  for  such  casual 
rambles. 

Set  out  from  the  Grand'  Place,  and  turn 
down  the  Rue  Breydel  to  the  Place  du  Bourg. 
Cross  the  Place  by  the  statue  of  Jan  van  Eyck ; 
traverse  the  Rue  Philippe  Stock;  turn  up  the 
Rue  des  Armuriers  a  little  to  the  right,  and 
continue  on  to  the  Place  St.  Jean,  with  a 
few  interesting  houses.  Note  here  and  else- 
where, at  every  turn,  the  little  statues  of  the 
Virgin  and  Child  in  niches,  and  the  old  signs 
on  the  fronts  or  gables.  The  interesting  Gothic 
93 


94  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

turret  which  faces  you  as  you  go  belong-s  to 
the  old  fourteenth  century  building  called  De 
Poorters  Loodge,  or  the  Assembly  Hall  of  the 
Noble  Citizens  Within  the  Gate,  as  opposed  to 
those  of  the  Franc  de  Bruges.  Continue  on  in 
the  same  direction  to  the  Place  Jan  van  Eyck, 
where  you  open  up  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing views  in  Bruges  over  the  canal  and  quays. 
The  Place  is  "  adorned  "  by  a  modern  statue 
of  Jan  van  Eyck.  The  dilapidated  building 
to  your  left  is  that  of  the  Academie  des  Beaux- 
Arts  which  occupies  the  site  of  the  Citizens' 
Assembly  Hall :  the  ancient  edifice  was  wholly 
rebuilt  and  spoilt  in  1755,  with  the  exception  of 
the  picturesque  tower,  best  viewed  from  the 
base  of  the  statue.  Opposite  you,  as  you  emerge 
into  the  Place,  is  the  charming  Tonlieu  or  Cus- 
tom House,  whose  decorated  facade  and  portal 
(restored)  bear  the  date  1477,  with  the  arms 
of  Pieter  van  Luxemburg,  and  the  collar  of  the 
Golden  Fleece.  The  dainty  little  neighbour- 
ing house  to  the  left,  now  practically  united 
with  it,  has  a  coquettish  fagade:  the  saints  in 
the  niches  are  St.  George,  St.  John  Baptist,  St. 
Thomas  a  Becket  (or  Augustine?),  and  St. 
John  the  Evangelist. 


The  Town  of  Bruges  in  General     95 

The  Tonlieu  is  now  fitted  up  as  the  Municipal 
Library,  and  is  open  daily,  free,  from  ten  to 
one,  and  from  three  to  five,  Saturday  and 
Sunday  excepted.  It  contains  illuminated 
manuscripts  and  examples  of  editions  printed 
by  Colard  Mansion.  All  round  the  Place  are 
other  picturesque  mediaeval  or  Renaissance 
houses. 

The  little  street  diagonally  to  the  right  of 
the  Tonlieu  leads  on  to  the  Marche  du  Mercedi, 
now  called  Place  de  Memling,  embellished  by 
a  statue  of  the  great  painter.  Cross  the  Place 
diagonally  to  the  Quai  des  Espagnoles,  keep- 
ing the  Madonna  and  Child  in  front  of  you, 
and  continue  along  the  quay,  to  the  left,  to  the 
first  bridge;  there  cross  and  go  along  the  pic- 
turesque Quai  des  Augustins  to  the  Rue 
Flamande.  There  is  a  quaint  little  window 
to  the  left  as  you  cross  the  bridge.  Follow 
the  Rue  Flamande  as  far  as  the  Theatre,  just 
before  reaching  which  you  pass,  right,  a  hand- 
some mediaeval  stone  mansion  (formerly  the 
Guild  of  the  Genoese  Merchants),  with  a 
relief  over  the  door,  representing  St.  George 
killing  the  Dragon,  and  the  Princess  Cleodolind 
looking  on.    At  the  Theatre,  turn  to  the  right, 


96  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

following  the  tram  line,  and  making  your  way 
back  to  the  Grand'  Place  by  the  Rue  des 
Tonneliers. 

As  early  as  1362,  Bruges  acquired  its 
existing  size,  and  was  surrounded  by  ramparts, 
which  still  in  part  remain.  A  continuous  canal 
runs  round  these  ramparts,  and  beyond  it  again 
lies  an  outer  moat.  Most  of  the  old  gates  have 
unhappily  been  destroyed,  but  four  still  exist. 
These  may  be  made  the  objects  of  interesting 
rambles. 

Go  from  your  hotel,  or  from  the  Grand' 
Place,  by  the  Rue  Flamande,  as  far  as  the  Rue 
de  I'Academie.  Turn  along  this  to  the  right, 
into  the  Place  Jan  van  Eyck,  noting  as  you  pass 
the  Bear  of  Bruges  at  the  corner  of  the  building 
of  the  old  Academy.  Follow  the  quay  straight 
on  till  you  reach  a  second  canal,  near  the  cor- 
ner of  which,  by  the  Rue  des  Carmes,  is  an 
interesting  shop  with  good  beaten  brasswork. 
Take  the  long  squalid  Rue  des  Carmes  to  the 
right,  past  the  ugly  convent  of  the  English 
Ladies,  with  its  domed  church  in  the  most 
painful  taste  of  the  later  Renaissance  (1730). 
The  mediseval  brick  building  on  your  right,  at 
the  end  of  the  street,  is  the  late  Gothic  Guild- 


The  Town  of  Bruges  in  General     97 

house  of  the  Archers  of  St.  Sebastian.  Its 
slender  octagonal  tower  has  a  certain  pictur- 
esqueness.  (St.  Sebastian  was  of  course  the 
patron  of  archery.)  Charles  II.  of  England 
(see  under  the  Grand'  Place)  was  a  member 
of  this  society  during  his  exile:  his  bust  is 
preserved  here.  So  also  was  the  Emperor 
Maximilian.  Continue  to  the  ramparts,  and 
mount  the  first  hill,  crowned  by  a  windmill,  — 
a  scene  of  a  type  familiar  to  us  in  many  later 
Dutch  and  Flemish  pictures.  A  picturesque 
view  of  Bruges  is  obtained  from  this  point : 
the  octagonal  Belfry,  the  square  tower  of  St. 
Sauveur,  the  Cathedral,  the  tapering  brick 
spire  of  Notre-Dame,  with  its  projecting  gal- 
lery, and  the  steeple  of  the  new  Church  of  the 
Madeleine  are  all  conspicuous  in  views  from 
this  side.  Follow  the  ramparts  to  the  right, 
to  the  picturesque  Porte  de  Ste.  Croix,  and 
on  past  the  barracks  and  the  little  garden  to 
the  Quai  des  Dominicains,  returning  by  the 
Park  and  the  Place  du  Bourg  or  the  Dyver. 
Set  out  by  the  Grand'  Place  and  the  Place 
du  Bourg;  then  follow  the  Rue  Haute,  with 
its  interesting  old  houses,  as  far  as  the  canal. 
Do  not  cross  it,  but  skirt  the  quay  on  the 


gS  Belgium :    Its    Cities 

further  side,  with  the  towers  of  St.  Walburge 
and  St.  Gilles  in  front  of  you.  At  the  bridge, 
diverge  to  the  rights  round  the  Church  of  St. 
Anne,  and  the  quaint  Httle  Church  of  Jeru- 
salem, which  contains  an  unimportant  imita- 
tion of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusalem, 
founded  by  a  burgomaster  of  Bruges  in  the 
fifteenth  century.  It  is  just  worth  looking  at. 
Return  to  the  bridge,  and  follow  the  quay 
straight  on  to  the  modern  Episcopal  Seminary 
and  the  picturesque  old  Hospice  de  la  Potterie, 
which  now  harbours  the  Museum  of  Antiq- 
uities belonging  to  the  Hospital  of  St.  John. 
I  do  not  advise  a  visit.  It  contains  third-rate 
early  Flemish  pictures,  inferior  tapestry,  and 
a  few  pieces  of  carved  oak  furniture.  Admis- 
sion, fifty  centimes :  entrance  by  the  door  just 
beyond  the  church.  No,  F,  79.  The  church 
itself  is  worth  a  minute's  visit.  This  walk 
passes  many  interesting  old  houses,  which  it 
is  not  necessary  now  to  specify.  Return  by  the 
Porte  de  Damme,  and  the  opposite  side  of  the 
same  canal,  to  the  Pont  des  Carmes,  whence 
follow  the  pretty  canal  on  the  right  to  the  Rue 
Flamande. 

Take  the  Rue  St.  Jacques,  and  go  straight 


CHURCH  OF  JERUSALEM,  BRUGES. 


The  Town  of  Bruges  in  General     99 

out  to  the  Porte  d'Ostende,  which  forms  an 
interesting  picture.  Cross  the  canal  and  outer 
moat,  and  traverse  the  long  avenue,  past  the 
gasometers,  as  far  as  the  navigable  canal  from 
Bruges  to  Ostend.  Then  retrace  your  steps 
to  the  gateway,  and  return  by  the  ramparts 
and  the  Railway  Station  to  the  Rue  Nord  du 
Sablon. 

These  four  walks  will  show  you  almost  all 
that  is  externally  interesting  in  the  streets  and 
canals  of  the  city. 

The  original  Palace  of  the  Counts  of  Flan- 
ders, we  saw,  occupied  the  site  of  the  Palais 
de  Justice.  Their  later  residence,  the  Cour 
des  Princes,  in  a  street  behind  the  Hotel  du 
Commerce,  has  now  entirely  disappeared.  Its 
site  is  filled  by  a  large,  ornate  modern  build- 
ing, belonging  to  the  Sisters  of  the  Sacred 
Heart,  who  use  it  as  a  school  for  girls. 

The  water-system  of  Bruges  is  also  inter- 
esting. The  original  river  Reye  enters  the 
town  at  the  Minnewater,  flows  past  the  Hos- 
pital and  the  Dyver,  and  turns  northward  at 
the  Bourg,  running  under  arches  till  it  emerges 
on  the  Place  Jean  van  Eyck.  This  accounts 
for  the  apparently  meaningless  way  this  branch 


lOO  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

seems  to  stop  short  close  to  the  statue  of  Van 
Eyck :  also,  for  the  mediaeval  ships  unloading 
at  the  Grand'  Place.  The  water  is  now  mostly 
diverted  along  the  canals  and  the  moat  by  the 
ramparts. 


CATHEDRAL    OF    ST     SAUVKUR,    BRUGES. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE     CHURCHES     OF     BRUGES 

THE  original  Cathedral  of  Bruges,  St. 
Donatian,  was  destroyed,  as  we  saw, 
by  the  French,  in  1799;  but  the  town  still 
possesses  two  fine  mediaeval  churches  of  con- 
siderable pretensions,  as  well  as  several  others 
of  lesser  importance.  Though  of  very  ancient 
foundation,  the  two  principal  churches  in  their 
existing  form  date  only  from  the  most  flour- 
ishing period  of  Bruges,  the  thirteenth,  four- 
teenth, and  fifteenth  centuries. 

St.  Salvator  or  St.  Sauveur,  the  larger,  was 
erected  into  the  Cathedral  after  the  destruction 
of  St.  Donatian,  whose  relics  were  transferred 
to  it.  To  this,  therefore,  we  will  first  direct 
ourselves. 

Go  down  the  Rue  des  Pierres  as  far  as  the 
Cathedral,  which  replaces  a  very  ancient  church 
built  by  St.  Eligius  (St.  Eloy)  in  646. 


I02  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

Externally,  the  edifice,  which  is  built  of  brick, 
has  rather  a  heavy  and  cumbrous  effect,  its 
chief  good  features  being  the  handsome  square 
tower  and  the  large  decorated  windows  of 
the  north  and  south  transepts.  The  choir 
and  its  chapels  have  the  characteristic  French 
form  of  a  chevet.  The  main  portal  of  the 
north  transept  has  been  robbed  of  its  sculp- 
ture. The  choir  is  of  the  late  thirteenth  cen- 
tury :  the  nave  and  transept  are  mainly  in  the 
decorated  style  of  the  fourteenth. 

The  best  entrance  is  near  the  tower  on  the 
north  side.  Walk  straight  on  into  the  body 
of  the  nave,  by  the  archway  in  the  heavy  tower, 
so  as  to  view  the  internal  architecture  as  a 
whole.  The  nave  and  single  aisles  are  hand- 
some and  imposing,  though  the  windows  on  the 
south  side  have  been  despoiled  of  their  tracery. 
Notice  the  curious  high-pointed  triforium 
(1362),  between  the  arches  of  the  nave  and 
the  windows  of  the  clerestory.  The  choir  is 
closed  by  a  strikingly  ugly  debased  Renais- 
sance or  rococo  rood-screen  (1682),  in  black- 
and-white  marble,  supporting  the  organ.  It 
has  a  statue  of  God  the  Father,  by  the  younger 
Quellin.     The  whole  of  the  interior  has  been 


The  Churches  of  Bruges         103 

decorated  afresh  in  somewhat  gaudy  poly- 
chrome, by  Jean  Bethune.  The  effect  is  on 
the  whole  not  unpleasing. 

The  Cathedral  contains  few  works  of  art  of 
high  merit,  but  a  preliminary  walk  round  the 
aisles,  transept,  and  ambulatory  behind  the 
choir  will  give  a  good  idea  of  its  general  ar- 
rangement. Then  return  to  view  the  paintings. 
The  sacristan  takes  you  round  and  unlocks 
the  pictures.     Do  not  let  him  hurry  you. 

Begin  with  the  left  aisle. 

The  baptistery,  on  your  left,  contains  a  hand- 
some font.  Right  and  left  of  the  entry  to  it 
are  admirable  brasses.  In  the  baptistery  itself, 
on  the  left  wall,  are  two  wings  of  a  rather 
quaint  triptych,  representing  St.  Martin  divid- 
ing his  cloak  with  the  beggar;  St.  Nicholas 
raising  to  life  the  three  boys  who  had  been 
salted  for  meat;  St.  Mary  Magdalen  with  the 
pot  of  ointment  (in  the  distance,  as  Penitent 
in  the  Desert) ;  and  St.  Barbara  with  her 
tower;  dated  1613.  Also  a  rude  Flemish 
picture  (sixteenth  century)  of  the  lives  of  St. 
Joachim  and  St.  Anna,  and  their  daughter,  the 
Blessed  Virgin :  —  the  main  episodes  are  the 
Marriage  of  the  Virgin,  Birth  of  the  Virgin, 


I04  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

and  Rejection  of  St.  Joachim  from  the  Tem- 
ple,  with  other  scenes  in  the  background. 

The  end  wall  of  the  baptistery  has  Peter 
Pourbus's  masterpiece,  a  *  triptych  painted  for 
the  Guild  of  the  Holy  Sacrament,  attached  to 
the  church  of  St.  Sauveur,  and  allusive  to  their 
functions.  The  outer  wings,  when  closed, 
represent  the  miracle  of  the  Mass  of  St. 
Gregory,  when  the  host,  as  he  consecrated  it, 
was  changed  into  the  bodily  presence  of  the 
Saviour,  to  silence  a  doubter.  It  thus  shows 
in  a  visible  form  the  tremendous  mystery  of 
transubstantiation,  in  honour  of  which  the 
Guild  was  founded.  Behind,  the  Brothers  of 
the  Confraternity  are  represented  (on  the  right 
wing)  in  attendance  on  the  Pope,  as  spectators 
of  the  miracle.  One  of  them  holds  his  triple 
crown.  These  may  rank  among  the  finest 
portraits  by  the  elder  Pourbus.  They  show 
the  last  stage  in  the  evolution  of  native  Flemish 
art  before  it  was  revolutionized  by  Rubens. 
The  inner  picture  represents,  in  the  centre,  the 
Last  Supper,  or  rather,  the  Institution  of  the 
Eucharist,  to  commemorate  which  fact  the 
Guild  was  founded.  The  arrangement  of  the 
figures  is  in  the  old  conventional  order,  round 


The  Churches  of  Bruges         105 

three  sides  of  a  table,  with  Judas  in  the  fore- 
ground to  the  left.  The  wings  contain  Old 
Testament  subjects  of  typical  import,  as  fore- 
shadowing the  Eucharist.  On  the  left,  Mel- 
chisedec  giving  bread  and  wine  to  Abraham; 
on  the  right,  Elijah  fed  by  the  angel  in  the 
Wilderness.  All  the  faces  have  still  much  of 
the  old  Flemish  portrait  character. 

On  the  right  wall  are  the  wings  of  a  picture, 
by  F.  Pourbus  (the  son),  painted  for  the  Guild 
of  Shoemakers,  whose  chapel  is  adjacent.    The 
inside  contains  portraits  of  the  members.     On 
the  outside  are  their  patrons,  St.  Crispinus  and 
St.  Crispianus,  with  their  shoemakers'  knives. 
Also,  an  early  Crucifixion,  of  the  school  of 
Cologne  (about  1400),  with  St.  Catherine  hold- 
ing her  wheel  and  trampling  on  the  tyrant 
Maximin,  by  whose  orders  she  was  executed, 
and  St.  Barbara  with  her  tower.     Tliese  two 
also  occur  together  in  Memling's  great  triptych. 
The  picture  is  interesting  as  the  only  specimen 
in  Bruges  of  the  precursors  of  Van  Eyck  on 
the   lower   Rhine.      The   baptistery   contains, 
besides,  a  fine  old  candlestick,  and  a  quaint 
ciborium,  for  the  Holy  Oil,  with  coloured  re- 
liefs of  the  Seven  Joys  of  Mary   (1536)- 


lo6  Belgium:    Its  Cities 

The  vistas  from  the  north  transept  are  im- 
pressive. It  terminates  in  the  Chapel  of  the 
Shoemakers'  Guild,  with  a  fine  carved  wooden 
door  of  about  1470,  and  good  brasses,  as  well 
as  an  early  crucifix.  It  is  dedicated  to  the 
patron  saints  of  the  craft,  and  bears  their  arms, 
a  boot. 

The  first  two  chapels  in  the  ambulatory 
(behind  the  choir)   have  good  screens. 

The  third  chapel  encloses  the  tomb  of  Arch- 
bishop Carondelet,  in  alabaster  (1544),  a  fine 
work  of  the  Italian  Renaissance.  The  Descent 
from  the  Cross,  by  Claeissens,  with  the  Crown 
of  Thorns  and  the  Holy  Blood  in  the  fore- 
ground :  on  the  wings,  St.  Philip,  and  the 
donor,  under  the  protection  of  the  canonized 
Charlemagne.  Near  this  is  a  *  triptych,  by 
Dierick  Bouts  (falsely  ascribed  to  Memling), 
representing,  in  the  centre,  St.  Hippolytus  torn 
to  pieces  by  four  horses.  (He  was  the  jailor 
of  St.  Lawrence,  who  converted  him :  see  Mrs. 
Jameson.)  The  faces  show  well  the  remark- 
able power  of  this  bourgeois  painter  of  Lou- 
vain.  On  the  left  wing  are  the  donors ;  on  the 
right  wing  Hippolytus  confesses  himself  a 
Christian,  and  is  condemned   to  martyrdom. 


The   Churches  of  Bruges         107 

Over  the  altar,  a  Tree  of  Jesse,  in  carved  wood- 
work, with  the  family  of  Our  Lady:  on  the 
wings  (painted),  the  legend  of  St.  Hubert 
and  the  stag,  and  the  legend  of  St.  Lucy. 

In  the  apse  is  the  Chapel  of  the  Host. 

The  next  chapel,  of  the  Seven  Sorrows,  has 
a  Mater  Dolorosa  of  1460  (copy  of  one  at 
Rome)  ;  a  fine  *  brass ;  and  the  *  portrait  of 
Philippe  le  Beau,  known  as  Philippus  Stok 
(father  of  Charles  V.),  and  bearing  the  collar 
of  the  Golden  Fleece. 

The  choir  (admirable  architecturally)  con- 
tains the  *  stalls  and  arms  of  the  Knights  of 
the  Golden  Fleece,  with  good  carved  misereres. 

The  Cathedral  contains  many  other  pictures 
of  interest,  which,  however,  do  not  fall  within 
the  scope  of  these  guides. 

The  churchwardens'  vestry  contains  manu- 
scripts and  church  furniture,  sufficiently  de- 
scribed by  the  sacristan. 

In  the  sacristy  are  still  preserved  the  relics 
of  St.  Donatian. 

Give  the  sacristan  a  franc,  and  then  go  round 
alone  again,  to  inspect  the  unlocked  pictures 
at  your  leisure. 

On  leaving  the  Cathedral,  go  round  the  south 


lo8  Belgium:    Its   Cities 

side,  which  affords  an  excellent  view  of  the 
chapels  built  out  from  the  apse.  Then  take 
the  little  Rue  du  St.  Esprit  as  far  as  the  church 
of  Notre-Dame,  which  replaces  a  chapel,  built 
by  St.  Boniface,  the  Apostle  of  Germany,  in 
744,  and  enclosed  in  the  town  in  909. 

Stand  opposite  it,  in  the  small  Place  on  the 
north  side,  to  observe  the  somewhat  shapeless 
architecture,  the  handsome  brick  tower  crowned 
by  a  tall  brick  steeple,  and  the  beautiful  little 
*  porch  or  "  Paradise,"  built  out  from  the  main 
structure  in  flamboyant  Gothic  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  The  portal  of  this  porch  has  been 
walled  up,  and  the  area  is  now  used  as  a  chapel, 
approached  from  the  interior.  Notice  the  deli- 
cate tracery  of  the  windows,  the  fine  finials 
and  niches,  and  the  charming  gable-end. 

The  picturesque  building  with  turrets  to  the 
left  of  the  church  wa^  originally  the  mansion 
of  the  family  Van  der  Gruuthuus,  one  of  the 
principal  mediaeval  stocks  of  Bruges.  It  had 
a  passage  communicating  with  the  family  gal- 
lery in  the  Church  of  Notre-Dame.  The  build- 
ing is  now  in  course  of  being  restored  and 
fitted  up  for  the  Town  Museum  of  Antiquities. 
A  Museum  of  Lace  is  already  installed  in  it; 


The   Churches  of  Bruges  109 

the  entrance  is  by  a  doorway  over  the  bridge 
to  the  left  (fifty  centimes  per  person). 

Enter  the  church,  and  walk  straight  into  the 
nave,  below  the  great  west  window,  a  spot 
which  affords  a  good  view  of  the  centre  of  the 
church,  the  vaulted  double  aisles,  and  the  an- 
gular apse.  The  choir  is  shut  off  from  the 
body  of  the  church  by  a  very  ugly  marble  rood- 
screen  (1722),  still  bearing  its  crucifix,  and 
with  a  figure  of  Our  Lady,  patroness  of  the 
church,  enshrined  above  its  central  arch.  Ro- 
coco statues  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  with  their 
well-know^n  symbols  (1618),  are  attached  to 
the  pillars.  Note  these  symbols :  they  recur 
in  similar  situations  everywhere.  In  spite  of 
hideous  disfigurements,  the  main  portion  of 
the  interior  is  still  a  fine  specimen  of  good 
middle  Gothic  architecture,  mainly  of  the  four- 
teenth century. 

Walk  up  the  outer  left  aisle.  The  last  bay 
is  formed  by  the  baptistery,  originally  the 
porch,  whose  beautiful  exterior  we  have  already 
viewed.  Its  interior  architecture  is  also  very 
charming.  It  contains  the  Font,  and  the  usual 
figure  of  the  patron,  St.  John  the  Baptist.  This 
aisle  terminates  in  an  apsidal  chapel   (of  the 


I  lo  Belgium  :    Its    Cities 

Holy  Cross)  containing  inferior  pictures  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  representing  the  history 
of  a  relic  of  the  True  Cross  preserved  here. 

The  inner  left  aisle  leads  to  the  ambulatory 
or  passage  at  the  back  of  the  Choir.  The  Con- 
fessionals to  the  right  have  fairly  good  rococo 
carved  woodwork,  1689.  On  the  left  is  the 
handsome  mediaeval  woodwork  gallery  ( 1474), 
belonging  to  the  Van  der  Gruuthuus  family, 
originally  approached  by  a  passage  from  their 
mansion  behind.  Beneath  it,  is  a  screen  of 
delicate  early  Gothic  architecture,  with  family 
escutcheons  above  the  door. 

The  windows  of  the  apse  have  good  modern 
stained  glass. 

On  the  left,  at  the  entrance  to  the  apse,  is 
Pourbus's  Adoration  of  the  Shepherds,  a 
winged  picture,  closed.  The  sacristan  will  open 
it.  On  the  wings  are,  left,  the  donor,  Sire 
Josse  de  Damhoudere,  with  his  patron,  St. 
Josse,  and  his  four  sons;  right,  his  wife, 
Louise,  with  her  five  daughters,  and  her  patron, 
St.  Louis  of  France,  wearing  his  crown  and 
robe  of  fleurs-de-lis,  and  holding  the  main  de 
justice.  He  is  represented  older  than  is  usual, 
or  indeed  historical,  and  in  features  somewhat 


The  Churches  of  Bruges        ill 

resembles  Henry  IV.  This  is  a  fine  picture 
for  its  master.  On  the  outer  wings  are  the 
cognate  subjects,  the  Circumcision  and  the 
Adoration  of  the  Magi,  in  grisaille. 

The  chapel  in  the  apse,  formerly  the  Lady 
Chapel,  now  contains  the  host.  It  has  a  gaudy 
modern  altar  for  the  monstrance. 

In  the  south  ambulatory,  over  a  doorway, 
Foundation  of  the  Church  of  Santa  Maria 
Maggiore  at  Rome,  by  Claeissens. 

A  chapel  to  the  left,  just  beyond,  locked,  but 
opened  by  the  sacristan  (one  franc;  or,  for  a 
party,  fifty  centimes  each),  contains  the  cele- 
brated **  tombs  of  Mary  of  Burgundy  and 
Charles  the  Bold,  her  father.  Mary  was  the 
wife  of  Maximilian,  and  died  by  a  fall  from 
her  horse  in  1482,  when  only  twenty-five.  Her 
**  monument  was  designed  and  executed  by 
Peter  Beckere  of  Brussels,  by  order  of  her 
son,  Philippe  le  Beau,  in  1502.  The  sarcopha- 
gus is  of  black  marble:  the  statue  of  the 
princess,  in  gilt  bronze,  lies  recumbent  upon  it. 
The  style  is  intermediate  between  that  of  the 
later  Middle  Ages  and  of  the  full  Renaissance. 
Beside  it  is  the  *  tomb  of  Charles  the  Bold,  of 
far  less  artistic  value.     Charles  was  buried  at 


112  Belgium  :    Its    Cities 

Nancy,  after  the  fatal  battle,  but  his  body  was 
transported  to  St.  Donatian  in  this  town  by 
his  descendant,  Charles  V.,  and  finally  laid  here 
beside  his  daughter  by  Philip  II.,  who  had  this 
tomb  constructed  for  his  ancestor  in  imitation 
of  that  of  Mary. 

I  advise  the  visitor  after  seeing  these  tombs 
and  the  great  chimney-piece  of  the  Franc  de 
Bruges  to  read  up  the  history  of  Charles  the 
Bold  and  his  descendants,  down  to  Charles  V. 

The  east  wall  of  this  chapel,  beyond  the 
tomb  of  Charles  the  Bold,  has  a  fine  picture  of 
Our  Lady  of  Sorrows,  enthroned,  surrounded 
by  smaller  subjects  of  the  Seven  Sorrows. 
Beginning  at  the  left,  the  Circumcision,  the 
Flight  into  Egypt,  Christ  lost  by  his  parents  in 
the  Temple,  the  Way  to  Calvary  (with  St.  Ve- 
ronica holding  out  her  napkin),  the  Crucifixion 
(with  Our  Lady,  St.  John,  and  Mary  Mag- 
dalen), the  Descent  from  the  Cross,  and  the 
Deposition  in  the  Tomb.  A  fine  work  of  its 
sort,  attributed  to  Mostart  (or  to  Maubeuge). 
On  the  west  wall  are  two  wings  from  a  triptych, 
by  Pourbus,  with  tolerable  portraits  (centre- 
piece destroyed),  and  an  early  Flemish  paint- 


MICHAEL  ANGELO. — MADONNA   AND   CHILD. 


The  Churches  of  Bruges        113 

ing  of  the  Dqx>sition  from  the  Cross  (inter- 
esting for  comparison  with  Roger  van  der 
Weyden  and  Gerard  David).  In  the  fore- 
ground Hes  the  vessel  containing  the  Holy- 
Blood.  On  the  wings  are  the  Crucifixion  and 
the  Resurrection.  The  whole  is  very  rudely 
painted.  Outside  are  portraits  of  the  donor 
and  his  wife  and  children,  with  their  patrons, 
St.  James  (staff  and  scallop)  and  St.  Margaret 
(whose  dragon  just  appears  in  the  back- 
ground). 

On  an  arcade,  a  little  further  on,  is  a  very 
early  fresco  (1350?)  of  a  saint  (St.  Louis  of 
France?),  and  also  a  dainty  small  relief  (about 
1500)  of  a  donor,  introduced  by  his  patron, 
St.  Peter,  adoring  Our  Lady. 

The  end  chapel  of  the  right  aisle,  that  of  the 
Holy  Sacrament,  contains  a  celebrated  and 
noble  white  marble  **  Madonna  and  Child, 
by  Michael  Angelo,  enshrined  in  a  black  marble 
niche.  The  pensive,  grave,  and  graceful  face, 
the  exquisite  modelling  of  the  dainty  naked 
Child,  and  the  beautiful  infantile  pose  of  its 
left  hand,  all  betray  a  design  of  Michael  An- 
gelo, though  the  execution  may  possibly  have 
been  left  to  pupils.    But  the  modelling  is  softer 


114  Belgium:   Its  Cities 

and  more  feminine  than  is  usual  with  this  great 
sculptor,  except  in  his  early  period.  In  this 
respect,  it  resembles  most  the  unfinished  Ma- 
donna in  the  Bargello  at  Florence.  Condivi 
mentions  that  Peter  Mouscron  of  Bruges  or- 
dered of  Michael  Angelo  a  Madonna  and 
Child  in  bronze:  he  was  probably  mistaken 
as  to  the  material :  and  we  have  here  doubt- 
less the  work  in  question.  Apart  from  its 
great  artistic  value,  this  exquisite  group  is 
interesting  as  affording  another  link  between 
Flanders  and  Italy. 

The  same  chapel  also  contains  some  good 
seventeenth  century  pictures. 

Near  the  confessional,  as  we  return  toward 
the  West  End  of  the  church,  we  find  a  good 
diptych  of  Herrimet  de  Bles,  of  1520,  con- 
taining, left  panel,  an  Annunciation,  with 
all  the  conventional  elements;  to  the  left,  as 
usual,  is  the  angel  Gabriel;  to  the  right,  Our 
Lady.  These  relative  positions  are  never  al- 
tered. The  lilies  in  the  pot,  the  desk  and  book, 
the  bed  with  its  furniture,  the  arcade  in  the 
background,  and  the  rich  brocade,  are  all  con- 
stant features  in  pictures  of  this  subject.  Look 
out  for  them  elsewhere.     The  right  panel  has 


The  Churches  of  Bruges        115 

the  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  with  the  old,  mid- 
dle-aged, and  young  Kings,  the  last-named  a 
Moor.  This  quaint  and  interesting  work  of 
a  Flemish  painter,  with  its  archaic  background, 
and  its  early  Italian  reminiscences,  also  betrays 
the  influence  of  Diirer.  Among  the  other 
pictures  may  be  mentioned  a  triptych :  the 
central  panel  shows  the  Transfiguration,  with 
the  three  apostles  below,  Moses,  Elias,  and  the 
Eternal  Father  above  (perhaps  by  Jan  Mos- 
tart).  On  the  wings  (much  later,  by  P.  Pour- 
bus),  are  the  portraits  of  the  donor,  his  wife, 
and  their  patron  saints. 

The  West  Wall  of  the  church  has  several 
large  pictures  of  the  later  Renaissance,  which 
can  be  sufficiently  inspected  on  their  merits 
by  those  who  care  for  them.  The  best  of  them 
are  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  by  Seghers,  and 
De  Crayer's  Adoration  of  the  Infant  Jesus. 
I  do  not  propose  to  deal  at  length  with  later 
Flemish  art  till  we  reach  Brussels  and  Ant- 
werp :  at  Bruges,  it  is  best  to  confine  one's  self 
to  the  introductory  period  of  Flemish  painting 
—  that  of  the  Burgundian  princes.  I  will 
therefore  only  call  attention  here  to  the  mean- 
ingless way  in  which  huge  pictures  like  B.  van 


Ii6  Belgium:    Its    Cities 

Orley's  Crucifixion,  with  subsidiary  scenes 
from  the  Passion,  reproduce  the  form  of  earher 
winged  pictures,  which  becomes  absurd  on  this 
gigantic  scale. 

The  Church  of  St.  Jacques  stands  in  the 
street  of  the  same  name,  conveniently  near  the 
Hotel  du  Commerce.  It  is  a  good  old  mediae- 
val building  (twelfth  century,  rebuilt  1457 — 
1 5 18),  but  hopelessly  ruined  by  alterations  in 
the  seventeenth  century,  and  now,  as  a  fabric, 
externally  and  internally  uninteresting.  Its 
architecture  is  in  the  churchwarden  style:  its 
decoration  in  the  upholsterer's.  The  carved 
wooden  pulpit  is  a  miracle  of  bad  taste  (sev- 
enteenth century),  surpassed  only  by  the  parti- 
coloured marble  rood-screen.  A  few  good 
pictures  and  decorative  objects,  however,  occur 
among  the  mass  of  paintings  ranged  round  its 
walls  as  in  a  gallery.  The  best  is  a  panel  of 
the  old  Flemish  School  (by  Dierick  Bouts,  or 
more  probably  a  pupil),  in  the  left  aisle,  just 
beyond  the  second  doorway.  It  tells  very 
naively  the  History  of  St.  Lucy  (see  Mrs. 
Jameson).  In  the  left  panel,  she  informs  her 
mother  that  she  is  about  to  distribute  her  goods 
to  the  poor,   who  are  visibly  represented  in 


The  Churches  of  Bruges        1 1 7 

a  compact  body  asking  alms  behind  her.  In 
the  centre,  she  is  haled  before  the  consul 
Paschasius  by  her  betrothed,  whom  she  refuses 
to  marry.  She  confesses  herself  a  Christian, 
and  is  condemned  to  a  life  of  shame.  In  the 
right,  she  is  dragged  away  to  a  house  of  ill- 
fame,  the  consul  Paschasius  accompanying; 
but  two  very  stumpy  oxen  fail  to  move  her. 
The  Holy  Ghost  flits  above  her  head.  The 
details  are  good,  but  the  figures  very  wooden. 
Dated,  1480. 

Beside  it  is  an  extravagant  Lancelot  Blon- 
deel  of  St.  Cosmo  and  St.  Damian,  the  doctor 
saints,  with  surgical  instruments  and  pots  of 
ointment.  The  central  picture  shows  their 
martyrdom.  , 

Further  on  hangs  a  good  Flemish  triptych 
(according  to  Waagen,  by  Jan  Mostart),  rep- 
resenting the  prophecies  of  Christ's  coming: 
centre,  the  Madonna  and  Child;  with  King 
Solomon  below,  from  whom  a  genealogical 
tree  rises  to  bear  St.  Joachim  and  St.  Anna, 
parents  of  Our  Lady.  Right  and  left  of  him, 
Balaam  and  Isaiah,  who  prophesied  of  the 
Virgin  and  Christ :  with  two  Sibyls,  univer- 
sally believed  in  the  Middle  Ages  to  have  also 


1 1 8  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

foretold  the  advent  of  the  Saviour.  The  stem 
ends  in  the  Virgin  and  Child.  Left,  the  Tibur- 
tine  Sibyl  showing  the  Emperor  Augustus  the 
vision  of  the  glorious  Virgin  in  the  sky :  right, 
St.  John  the  Evangelist  in  Patmos  beholding 
the  Apocalyptic  vision  of  the  Woman  clothed 
with  the  Sun.  This  is  a  fine  work  of  its  kind, 
and  full  of  the  prophetic  ideas  of  the  Middle 
Ages. 

Pass  round  the  ambulatory  and  choir  to  the 
first  chapel  at  the  east  end  of  the  right  aisle. 
It  contains  an  altar  with  the  Madonna  and 
Child  in  Delia  Robbia  ware,  probably  by  Luca. 
Also,  a  fine  tomb  of  Ferry  de  Gros  and  his 
two  wives,  the  first  of  whom  reposes  by  his 
side  and  the  second  beneath  him.  This  is  a 
good  piece  of  early  Renaissance  workmanship 
(about  1530).  The  church  also  contains  a 
few  excellent  later  works  by  Pourbus  and 
others,  which  need  not  be  specified.  This  was 
the  church  of  the  Florentine  merchants  at 
Bruges  (whence  perhaps  the  Delia  Robbia) 
and  particularly  of  the  Portinari,  who  com- 
missioned the  great  altar-piece,  by  Van  der 
Goes,  now  in  the  Hospital  of  Santa  Maria 
Nuova  at  Florence. 


LUCA    DELLA    ROBBIA. MADONNA    AND    CHILD. 


The  Churches  of  Bruges        1 19 

The  other  churches  of  Bruges  need  not  de- 
tain the  tourist,  though  all  contain  a  few 
objects  of  interest  for  the  visitor  who  has 
a  week  or  two  at  his  disposition. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE     ACADEMY     OF     BRUGES 

THE  Academie  des  Beaux-Arts,  which 
formerly  occupied  the  Poorters  Loodge, 
or  Guild  Hall  of  the  citizens  within  the  gates, 
has  a  small  but  valuable  collection  of  pictures, 
removed  from  the  destroyed  Cathedral  of  St. 
Donatian  and  other  churches  of  Bruges,  which 
well  repays  a  visit.  You  will  here  have  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  studying  Jan  van 
Eyck,  whose  work  I  shall  more  particularly 
notice  when  we  arrive  at  Ghent.  It  is  inter- 
esting, however,  here  to  compare  him  with 
his  great  successor,  Memling,  who  is  repre- 
sented at  the  Academy  by  a  fine  tripych.  The 
little  gallery  also  contains  some  admirable 
works  by  Gerard  David,  one  of  the  latest  of 
the  old  School  of  Flemish  painters,  whose 
work  may  thus  be  observed  here  side  by  side 
with  those  of  his  two  chief  predecessors.    Ow- 

120 


The  Academy  of  Bruges        1 21 

ing  to  the  ruinous  state  of  the  original  build- 
ing the  collection  has  been  transferred  to  a 
temporary  apartment,  beyond  the  Hospital 
Bridge,  near  the  Church  of  Notre-Dame.  No 
tourist  should  leave  Bruges  without  visiting 
this  interesting  collection. 

At  present  the  Museum  is  situated  in  a 
house  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the  Rue  Ste. 
Catherine,  nearly  opposite  a  new  church.  Go 
to  it  past  the  Hospital  of  St.  John.  Admission 
daily,  fifty  centimes  per  person. 

Begin  in  the  centre  of  the  wall  opposite  the 
entrance. 

( I )  Jan  van  Eyck.  **  Altar-piece,  ordered 
by  George  van  der  Palen,  for  the  High  Altar 
of  the  original  Cathedral  of  St.  Donatian,  of 
which  he  was  a  canon.  The  centre  of  the 
picture  is  occupied  by  the  Madonna  and  Child, 
the  face  of  Our  Lady  somewhat  recalling  Ger- 
man models.  She  sits  in  the  apse  of  a  church, 
probably  St.  Donatian.  The  Child,  whom  it 
is  the  fashion  to  describe  as  "  aged-looking," 
fondles  a  parrot  and  grasps  a  bunch  of  flowers. 
To  the  left  stands  St.  Donatian,  the  Arch- 
bishop, patron  saint  of  the  church  for  which 
this  altar-piece  was   painted.     He  bears  his 


122  Belgium;    Its   Cities 

usual  symbol,  the  wheel  with  five  lighted  can- 
dles (as  in  the  beautiful  panel,  by  Gerard 
David,  in  the  National  Gallery  at  London). 
This  is  a  fine  and  finely-painted  figure.  To  the 
right,  St.  George,  in  full  armour,  admirably 
represented,  but  in  an  affected  attitude,  lifts 
his  casque  somewhat  jauntily  as  he  presents 
his  namesake,  the  Canon  George,  to  Our 
Lady.  In  all  this  we  get  a  touch  of  Bur- 
gundian  courtliness:  the  event  is  represented 
as  a  state  ceremonial.  With  his  left  hand  the 
Saint  supports  his  Red  Cross  banner.  The 
portrait  of  the  kneeling  Canon  himself  — 
asthmatic,  pudding-faced  —  is  very  admirable 
and  lifelike,  but  by  no  means  flattered.  He 
grips  his  prayer-book  with  an  old  man's  trem- 
ulous hand.  (For  a  profound  criticism  of  this 
fine  picture,  see  Conway.)  The  insipid  Ma- 
donna, the  rather  foolish  St.  George,  the  fine 
portrait  of  the  Canon,  are  all  typical  of  Van 
Eyck's  manner.  The  accessories  of  archi- 
tecture, decoration,  and  background,  should 
also  be  carefully  noted.  The  capitals  of  the 
columns  and  the  knobs  of  glass  in  the  window, 
as  well  as  St.  George's  costume,  are  elaborated 
in  Van  Eyck's  finest  fashion. 


JAN    VAN    EYCK.  —  ST.    GEORGE 

(Detail  from  Madonna  and  Child). 


The  Academy  of  Bruges        123 

(2)  Jan  van  Eyck.  *  Portrait  of  his  wife, 
painted  for  presentation  to  the  Bruges  Guild  of 
Painters,  together  with  one  of  the  artist  him- 
self, now  undiscoverable.  This  is  a  fine  though 
evidently  unflattered  portrait  of  a  capable 
housewife,  very  stiffly  arrayed  in  her  best 
church-going  costume.  It  deserves  close  in- 
spection. 

Above  it,  (3)  Head  of  Christ,  ascribed  to 
Jan  van  Eyck,  but  in  reality  a  poor  and  re- 
duced copy  of  the  picture  at  Berlin. 

(4)  Memling.  **  Triptych  painted  for 
Willem  Moreel  or  Morelli,  a  member  of  a 
wealthy  Savoyard  family  settled  at  Bruges. 
Like  Jan  van  Eyck's  portrait  of  the  two  Arnol- 
fini  in  London,  and  Hugo  van  der  Goes's  trip- 
tych of  the  Portinari  at  Florence,  this  picture 
marks  well  the  cosmopolitan  character  of  old 
Bruges.  In  the  central  panel,  St.  Christopher, 
whose  altar  in  the  church  of  St.  Jacques  it 
adorned,  wades  with  his  staff  through  the 
water,  feeling  as  he  goes  the  increasing  burden 
of  the  Christ-Child  on  his  shoulder.  For  the 
legend,  see  Mrs.  Jameson.  To  the  left,  above, 
is  the  diminutive  figure  of  the  hermit  with 
his    lantern,    which    always    accompanies    St. 


1 24  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

Christopher.  The  left  foreground  of  the  pic- 
ture is  occupied  by  St.  Maurus,  in  his  Bene- 
dictine costume;  to  the  right  is  St.  Giles  (St. 
Egidius),  the  hermit,  with  the  wounded  doe, 
the  arrow  piercing  the  arm  of  the  saint.  The 
left  wing  represents  the  donor,  Willem  Moreel, 
under  the  care  of  his  patron,  St.  William,  who 
wears  a  hermit's  dress  above  his  coat  of  armour. 
(When  a  saint  places  his  hand  on  a  votary's 
shoulder,  it  usually  implies  that  the  votary  is 
a  namesake.)  Behind  are  Moreel's  five  sons. 
All  these  portraits,  but  particularly  that  of  the 
donor  and  his  eldest  son,  who  closely  resem- 
bles him,  are  admirable.  The  right  wing 
represents  the  donor's  wife,  Barbara,  under 
the  protection  of  her  patron,  St.  Barbara,  with 
her  tower,  showing  as  usual  three  windows, 
emblematic  of  the  Holy  Trinity.  Behind  the 
lady  are  her  two  daughters,  one  of  whom  is 
habited  as  a  Benedictine  nun,  whence,  doubt- 
less, the  introduction  of  St.  Maurus  into  the 
main  altar-piece.  This  fine  triptych  originally 
decorated  an  altar  of  St.  Christopher  in  Mo- 
reel's private  chapel  in  the  Church  of  St. 
Jacques.  One  of  his  daughters  is  the  "  Sibylla 
Sambetha  "  represented  at  the  Hospital.    The 


The  Academy  of  Bruges        125 

wings  at  the  back  rq)resent  in  grisaille  St. 
John  the  Baptist  with  the  lamb,  and  St. 
George  with  the  dragon.  It  was  usual  to  paint 
the  outer  wings  in  grisaille  or  in  low  tones  of 
colour,  so  that  the  splendour  of  the  interior 
hues  might  burst  upon  the  spectator  as  the 
triptych  was  opened. 

(12)  Attributed  to  Schoreel :  really,  by  a 
master  of  the  Brabant  School.  Death  of  the 
Virgin.  Our  Lady  is  represented  on  her  death- 
bed, surrounded,  as  always,  by  the  surviving 
apostles,  who  were  miraculously  collected  to- 
gether to  her  chamber.  The  faces  are  those 
of  Flemish  peasants  or  artisans.  Above,  Christ 
appears  in  glory,  surrounded  by  a  halo  of 
cherubs,  to  receive  her  new-born  soul.  Two 
angels  support  his  outer  garment.  This  pic- 
ture well  shows  the  beginning  of  the  later 
Flemish  tendency. 

Now  return  to  No.  5,  by  Gerard  David, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  great  Van  Eyck. 
This  is  a  *  triptych,  painted  for  Jean  des 
Trompes,  for  the  High  Altar  of  the  Lower 
Chapel  of  the  Holy  Blood.  The  central  panel 
represents  the  Baptism  of  Christ.  In  the 
middle,  the  Saviour  wades  in  the  water  of  a 


1 26  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

diminutive  Jordan,  where  the  concentric  cir- 
cles show  the  increased  careful  study  of  nature. 
On  the  right-hand  side  of  the  picture,  St.  John 
the  Baptist,  patron  saint  of  the  donor,  pours 
water  on  his  head.  Tlie  relative  positions  of 
these  two  figures,  and  of  the  angel  to  the  left 
holding  a  robe,  are  conventional :  they  have  de- 
scended from  a  very  early  period  of  art.  In 
the  Ravenna  mosaics,  the  place  of  the  angel 
is  filled  by  the  river-god  of  the  Jordan  with 
his  urn,  afterward  transformed  and  Chris- 
tianized into  an  angel  with  a  towel.  Look 
out  in  future  for  similar  arrangements.  The 
central  figures  are  weak;  but  the  robe  of  the 
angel  is  painted  with  Flemish  minuteness. 
So  are  the  flowers  and  leaves  of  the  fore- 
ground. Above,  the  dove  descends  upon  the 
head  of  the  Saviour,  while  the  Eternal  Father 
pronounces  from  the  skies  the  words,  "  Be- 
hold my  Beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased." 

In  the  background  are  two  other  episodes: 
on  the  left,  the  preaching  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist,  where  Oriental  costumes  indicate  the 
heathen;  on  the  right,  St.  John  the  Baptist 
pointing  out  Christ  to  his  disciples  with  the 


The  Academy  of  Bruges        127 

words,  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God."  The- 
distance  shows  two  towns  and  a  fine  landscape. 
Observ^e  the  admirable  painting  of  the  trees, 
with  their  good  shadows;  also  the  ivy  climb- 
ing up  the  trunk  of  one  to  the  right.  This 
picture  is  among  the  earliest  in  which  the 
gloom  of  a  wood  is  accurately  represented: 
in  many  other  respects  it  well  illustrates  the 
rise  of  landscape-painting.  (For  an  exhaustive 
criticism,  see  Conway.)  The  left  wing  has  a 
portrait  of  the  donor,  with  his  other  patron, 
St.  John  the  Evangelist,  holding  the  cup.  Be- 
side the  donor  kneels  his  little  son  Philip. 
This  portrait,  the  face  and  foot  of  the  Evan- 
gelist, the  fur  of  the  donor's  robe,  the  crane  in 
the  background,  and  many  other  accessories 
deserve  close  attention.  Two  figures  in  the 
background  dimly  foreshadow  Teniers.  The 
right  wing  has  a  portrait  of  the  donor's  wife, 
Elizabeth,  with  her  four  daughters.  Behind 
her  stands  her  patroness,  St.  Elizabeth  of  Hun- 
gary, in  Franciscan  robes,  with  the  crown  on 
her  head  and  the  double  crown  and  book  in 
her  hands,  as  on  the  statuette  at  the  door 
of  the  Begninage.  The  painting  of  a  rosar}' 
here  is  excellent.    The  outer  wings  (turn  them 


1 28  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

back)  show,  on  the  left,  the  Madonna  and 
Child  with  a  bunch  of  grapes;  on  the  right, 
the  donor's  second  wife  Madeleine,  introduced 
by  her  patroness,  St.  Mary  Madeleine,  who 
holds  the  alabaster  pot  of  ointment.  By  the 
lady's  side  kneels  her  daughter.  The  back- 
ground consists  of  a  view,  probably  in  the 
Bruges  of  that  period.  Painted  about  1507. 
(6  and  7)  Gerard  David.  *  The  Pun- 
ishment of  the  Unjust  Judge.  These  two 
panels  are  of  a  type  commonly  set  up  in  courts 
of  justice  as  a  warning  to  evil-doers.  They 
were  ordered  by  the  Bruges  magistracy.  You 
will  see  a  similar  pair  by  Dierick  Bouts  in 
Brussels.  The  story,  a  horrid  one,  is  taken 
from  Herodotus.  Sisamnes  was  a  judge  in 
Persia  whom  King  Cambyses  detected  receiv- 
ing a  bribe  and  ordered  to  be  flayed  alive.  The 
king  then  stretched  his  skin  on  the  seat 
of  judgment,  and  appointed  the  son  of 
Sisamnes  to  sit  in  his  father's  place,  that  he 
might  remember  to  avoid  a  like  fate.  The 
first  picture  represents,  in  the  background,  the 
bribery.  In  the  foreground.  King  Cambyses, 
in  a  rich,  embroidered  robe,  demonstrates  on 
his   fingers   the    gxiilt    of    the   unjust    judge. 


DAVID. —  OUTER    WINGS    OF   TRIPTYCH. 


The  Academy  of  Bruges        129 

Sisamnes  is  seized  on  his  tribunal  by  a  man 
of  the  people;  courtiers,  lawyers,  and  bur- 
gesses looking  on.  The  expression  on  his  face 
and  the  painting  of  all  the  accessories  is  admi- 
rable. In  the  second  picture  we  have  the  flay- 
ing of  the  unjust  judge,  a  horrible  scene, 
powerfully  rendered.  Cambyses  stands  by, 
holding  his  sceptre,  surrounded  by  courtiers 
who  recall  the  last  age  of  the  Burgundian  do- 
minion. In  the  background  (as  a  subsequent 
episode)  the  son  of  Sisamnes  is  seen  sitting  in 
his  father's  place :  behind  him  hangs  the  skin  of 
the  father.  Architecture,  landscape,  ropes,  and 
all  other  accessories  of  this  painful  picture 
should  be  carefully  noted. 

(15)  J.  Prevost.  Last  Judgment.  Below, 
the  dead  are  rising,  half  naked,  from  the  tomb, 
girt  only  with  their  shrouds;  the  good  re- 
ceiving garments  from  angels,  and  the  bad 
hurried  away  to  a  very  Flemish  and  unim- 
pressive Hell.  Above,  Christ  as  Judge  holds 
the  sword.  Two  angels  blow  out  the  words 
of  blessing  or  malediction.  On  the  spectator's 
left.  Our  Lady  shows  the  breast  that  suckled 
the  Redeemer.  Behind  her  are  St.  Peter  with 
the  key,   St.   Paul  with  the  sword,   St.   Bar- 


130  Belgium  :   Its    Cities 

tholomew  with  the  knife,  and  other  saints. 
On  the  right  are  St.  John  the  Baptist  with 
the  lamb,  King  David  with  the  harp,  Moses, 
homed  (as  always),  with  the  tables  of  the 
law,  and  a  confused  group  of  saints.  This 
picture  is  rather  curious  than  beautiful.  Above 
it  is  a  later  treatment  of  the  same  subject  by 
Van  Coornhuuse,  interesting  for  comparison 
as  showing  the  usual  persistence  of  types  and 
the  conventional  grouping  of  the  individual 
figures.  Compare  especially  the  corresponding 
personages  in  the  lower  left  hand  corners. 

A  few  other  pictures  skied  on  this  wall  de- 
serve passing  notice.  29  is  a  Death  and 
the  Miser,  of  the  School  of  Quentin  Matsys. 
17,  by  Lancelot  Blondeel,  the  architect  of 
the  great  chimneypiece  of  the  Franc  de 
Bruges,  represents  St.  Luke  painting  Our 
Lady,  in  one  of  the  fantastic  frames  in  which 
this  painter  delighted.  18,  by  the  same, 
has  a  St.  George  and  the  Dragon,  with  the 
Princess  Cleodolind  looking  on.  Around  it 
are  four  smaller  scenes  of  his  martyrdom :  — 
he  was  boiled,  burnt  with  torches,  dragged  by 
a  horse,  and  finally  decapitated.  11  is  a 
good  diptych  of  the  Flemish  school,  by  an  un- 


The  Academy  of  Bruges        131 

known  contemporary  of  Gerard  David.  It 
represents,  left,  a  donor,  with  his  patron  St. 
John  the  Almoner,  holding  his  symbol,  a  sheaf 
of  corn.  On  the  right,  his  wife  with  her 
patroness,  St.  Godeliva.  28  is  an  Adora- 
tion of  the  Magi,  where  the  Three  Kings 
again  illustrate  the  three  ages  of  man  and  the 
three  continents.  Beside  it  is  a  Nativity  which 
exhibits  all  the  traditional  features  already 
noted. 

The  end  wall  has  in  its  centre  a  tolerably 
good  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  of  the  German 
School,  fifteenth  century.  Note  once  more  the 
Three  Kings,  of  whom  the  youngest  is  a  Moor. 
Left  of  this,  a  *  drawing,  by  Jan  van  Eyck, 
of  St.  Barbara,  which  should  be  closely  in- 
spected. She  holds  a  palm  of  martyrdom.  In 
the  background,  workmen  build  her  tower. 
It  is  interesting  as  a  scene  of  real  life  at  this 
period.  This  is  a  replica  of  the  well-known 
picture  at  Antwerp.  To  the  right,  two  coloured 
drawings  by  Gerard  David  from  the  life  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist.  Above  these  hangs  a  toler- 
able P.  Pourbus  of  the  Last  Judgment, 
valuable  for  comparison  with  the  two  previous 
treatments  of  the  same  subject  on  the  prin- 


132  Belgium:    Its   Cities 

cipal  wall.  Go  from  one  to  the  other  once  or 
twice.  Later  painters  of  the  Renaissance  use 
this  solemn  theme  as  a  mere  excuse  for  ob- 
truding the  nude  —  and  often  the  vulgar  nude 
—  into  churches.  On  the  same  wall  are  a 
good  triptych  in  grisaille  by  P.  Pourbus  (Way 
to  Calvary,  Descent  from  the  Cross,  Resur- 
rection;  from  Notre  Dame  at  Damme),  and 
other  pictures. 

The  remaining  walls  have  portraits  and  other 
works,  from  the  seventeenth  century  down- 
wards, most  of  which  need  no  explanation. 
A  few  of  them,  indeed,  are  not  without  merit. 
But,  as  I  have  before  observed,  it  is  best  in 
mediaeval  Bruges  to  confine  oneself  to  the 
thirteenth,  fourteenth,  fifteenth,  and  early 
sixteenth  centuries,  leaving  the  rise  of  the 
Renaissance,  and  the  later  Flemish  School  of 
painting,  to  occupy  us  at  Antwerp,  where  they 
can  be  studied  to  far  greater  advantage. 


CHAPTER   X. 


ORIGINS    OF    GHENT 


TI^LANDERS  owes  everything-  to  its  water 
-■-  communications.  At  this  junction  of  the 
Schelde  with  the  Lys  or  Lei,  there  grew  up 
in  the  very  early  Middle  Ages  a  trading 
town,  named  Gent,  in  Flemish,  and  Gand  in 
French,  but  commonly  Anglicised  as  Ghent. 
It  lay  on  a  close  network  of  rivers  and  canals, 
formed  partly  by  these  two  main  streams,  and 
partly  by  the  minor  channels  of  the  Lieve  and 
the  Moere,  which  together  intersect  it  into 
several  islands.  Such  a  tangle  of  inland  water- 
ways, giving  access  both  to  the  sea  and  to 
Bruges,  Courtrai,  and  Tournay,  as  well  as  less 
directly  to  Antwerp  and  Brussels,  ensured  the 
rising  town  in  early  times  considerable  import- 
ance. It  formed  the  centre  of  a  radiating  com- 
merce. Westward,  its  main  relations  were 
with  London  and  the  English  wool  ports; 
133 


134  Belgium  :    Its    Cities 

eastward  with  Cologne,  Maastricht,  the  Rhine 
towns,  and  Italy.  Ghent  was  always  the 
capital  of  East  Flanders,  as  Bruges  or  Ypres 
were  of  the  Western  province;  and  after  the 
counts  lost  possession  of  Arras  and  Artois, 
it  became  in  the  thirteenth  century  their  prin- 
cipal residence  and  the  metropolis  of  the 
country.  The  trade  in  weaving  grew  rapidly 
in  importance,  and  the  Ghenters  received  from 
their  count  a  charter  of  liberties  of  the  usual 
mediaeval  burgher  type.  As  time  went  on, 
and  the  city  advanced  in  wealth,  its  subjection 
to  its  sovereigns  became  purely  nominal. 
Ghent  equipped  large  bodies  of  citizen  soldiers, 
and  repulsed  a  considerable  English  army  under 
Edward  I.  The  Ghenters  were  also  deter- 
mined opponents  of  the  claims  of  the  French 
kings  to  interfere  in  the  internal  affairs  of 
Flanders ;  thus  they  were  mainly  instrumental 
in  winning  the  famous  Battle  of  the  Spurs  in 
1302,  when  the  citizens  of  Bruges  and  Ghent 
put  to  flight  the  army  of  France  under  the 
Count  of  Artois  before  the  walls  of  Tournay, 
and  dedicated  as  trophies  seven  hundred 
golden  spurs,  worn  by  the  French  knights 
whom  they  had  routed.    This  battle,  memorable 


Origins  of  Ghent  135 

as  one  of  the  chief  triumphs  of  nascent  in- 
dustrial freedom  over  the  chivalry  and  royalty 
of  mediaevalism,  secured  the  liberties  of  the 
Flemish  towns  against  French  aggression. 

Early  in  the  fourteenth  century,  the  burgh- 
ers of  Ghent,  under  their  democratic  chief,  Ja- 
cob or  Jacques  van  Artevelde,  attained  practi- 
cal independence.  Till  1322,  the  counts  and 
people  of  Flanders  had  been  united  in  their  re- 
sistance to  the  claims  of  France;  but  with  the 
accession  of  Count  Louis  of  Nevers,  the  aspect 
of  affairs  changed.  Louis  was  French  by  edu- 
cation, sympathies,  and  interests,  and  aristo- 
cratic by  nature ;  he  sought  to  curtail  the  liber- 
ties of  the  Flemish  towns,  and  to  make  himself 
despotic.  The  wealthy  and  populous  burgher 
republics  resisted,  and  in  1337  Van  Artevelde 
was  appointed  Captain  of  Ghent.  Louis  fled 
to  France,  and  asked  the  aid  of  Philip  of 
Valois.  Thereupon,  Van  Artevelde  made  him- 
self the  ally  of  Edward  IIL  of  England,  then 
beginning  his  war  with  France;  but  as  the 
Flemings  did  not  like  entirely  to  cast  ofif  their 
allegiance  —  a  thing  repugnant  to  mediaeval 
sentiment  —  Van  Artevelde  persuaded  Ed- 
ward to  put  forward  his  trumped-up  claim  to 


136  Belgium:    Its   Cities 

the  crown  of  France,  and  thus  induced  the 
towns  to  transfer  their  fealty  from  Philip  to 
his  English  rival.  It  was  therefore  in  his 
character  as  King  of  France  that  Edward 
came  to  Flanders.  The  alliance  thus  formed 
between  the  great  producer  of  raw  wool,  Eng- 
land, and  the  great  manufacturer  of  woollen 
goods,  Ghent,  proved  of  immense  commercial 
importance  to  both  parties.  But  as  Count 
Louis  sided  with  Philip  of  Valois,  the  breach 
between  the  democracy  of  Ghent  and  its 
nominal  sovereign  now  became  impassable. 
Van  Artevelde  held  supreme  power  in  Ghent 
and  Flanders  for  nine  years  —  the  golden  age 
of  Flemish  commerce  —  and  was  treated  on 
equal  terms  by  Edward,  who  stopped  at  Ghent 
as  his  guest  for  considerable  periods.  But  he 
was  opposed  by  a  portion  of  the  citizens,  and 
his  suggestion  that  the  Black  Prince,  son  of 
Edward  III.,  should  be  elected  Count  of  Flan- 
ders, proved  so  unpopular  with  his  enemies 
that  he  was  assassinated  by  one  of  them,  Gerard 
Denys.  The  town  and  states  immediately 
repudiated  the  murder;  and  the  alliance  which 
Van  Artevelde  had  brought  about  still  con- 
tinued.     It    had    far-reaching    results;     the 


Origins  of  Ghent  1 37 

woollen  industry  was  introduced  by  Edward 
into  the  Eastern  Counties  of  England,  and 
Ghent  had  risen  meanwhile  to  be  the  chief 
manufacturing  city  of  Europe. 

The  quarrel  between  the  democratic  weavers 
and  their  exiled  counts  was  still  carried  on  by 
Philip  van  Artevelde,  the  son  of  Jacques,  and 
godson  of  Queen  Philippa  of  England,  herself 
a  Hainaulter.  Under  his  rule,  the  town  con- 
tinued to  increase  in  wealth  and  population. 
But  the  general  tendency  of  later  mediaeval 
Europe  toward  centralized  despotisms  as 
against  urban  republics  was  too  strong  in  the 
end  for  free  Ghent.  In  1381,  Philip  v/as  ap- 
pointed dictator  by  the  democratic  party,  in  the 
war  against  the  count,  son  of  his  father's  old 
opponent,  whom  he  repelled  with  great 
slaughter  in  a  battle  near  Bruges.  He  then 
made  himself  Regent  of  Flanders.  But  Count 
Louis  obtained  the  aid  of  Charles  VI.  of  France, 
and  defeated  and  killed  Philip  van  Artevelde 
at  the  disastrous  battle  of  Roosebeke  in  1382. 
That  was  practically  the  end  of  local  freedom 
in  Flanders.  Though  the  cities  continued  to 
revolt  against  their  sovereigns  from  time  to 
time,  they  were  obliged  to  submit  for  the  most 


138  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

part  to  their  count  and  to  the  Burgundian 
princes  who  inherited  from  him  by  marriage. 

The  subsequent  history  of  Ghent  is  that  of 
the  capital  of  the  Burgunclian  dukes,  and  of 
the  House  of  Austria.  Here  the  German  king, 
Maximilian,  afterward  Emperor,  married  Mary 
of  Burgundy,  the  heiress  of  the  Netherlands; 
and  here  Charles  V.  was  born  in  the  palace  of 
the  counts.  It  was  his  principal  residence,  and 
he  was  essentially  a  Fleming.  Other  historical 
reminiscences  will  be  pointed  out  in  the  course 
of  our  peregrinations. 

The  old  waterways,  partially  artificial,  be- 
tween Ghent  and  the  sea,  other  than  the 
circuitous  route  by  the  shallow  Schelde,  had 
silted  up  by  1827,  when  a  ship  canal  was  con- 
structed to  Terneuzen.  This  canal  has  since 
been  widened  and  deepened  so  as  to  admit  ves- 
sels of  seventeen  hundred  tons;  it  has  thus 
helped  to  some  small  degree  to  save  the  town 
from  the  fate  of  Bruges.  But  as  its  mouth  lies 
in  what  is  now  Dutch  territory,  and  as  heavy 
tolls  are  levied,  it  is  comparatively  little  used. 
Another  and  somewhat  frequented  canal  leads 
to  Bruges;  but  Ghent  owes  most  of  its  exist- 
ing prosperity  to   its  manufactures  —  cotton, 


Origins  of  Ghent  1 39 

linen,  engines,  leather  —  and  to  its  central 
position  on  the  railway  system. 

The  important  points  for  the  tourist  to  bear 
in  mind  are  these,  however.  Ghent  during  the 
Middle  Ages  was  a  merchant  republic,  practi- 
cally independent,  with  its  guilds  and  its  belfry, 
the  last  of  which  was  used  to  summon  the 
citizens  to  arms  in  case  of  danger.  It  was  also 
the  chief  manufacturing  town  in  Europe,  as 
Bruges  was  the  chief  commercial  centre.  By 
treaty  with  Edward  III.,  Bruges  was  made  the 
"  staple  "  or  sole  port  of  entry  for  English 
wool :  and  this  wool  was  woven  into  cloth  for 
the  most  part  at  Ghent. 

Further  details  of  the  vicissitudes  of  Ghent 
can  be  found  in  Van  Duyse,  "  Gand,  Monumen- 
tal et  Pittoresque." 

The  chief  object  of  interest  at  Ghent  are 
the  Cathedral,  with  its  great  Van  Eyck;  and 
the  Town  Hall  and  Belfry.  These  can  be  toler- 
ably seen  in  one  day :  but  a  stay  of  three  or  four 
days  will  not  be  too  much  to  explore  the 
curious  nooks  of  the  early  city. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE     CORE    OF    GHENT 

THE  old  town  of  Ghent  lies  on  the  island 
formed  by  the  junction  of  the  Lys  and  the 
Schelde,  with  their  various  backwaters,  all 
now  largely  artificial.  Near  this  point,  but 
beyond  the  Lys,  the  Counts  of  Flanders  early 
erected  a  strong  castle,  the  Gravensteen  or 
Oudeburg,  beneath  whose  protection,  aided 
by  the  two  navigable  rivers,  merchants  and 
weavers  gradually  settled.  As  at  Bruges,  the 
heart  of  the  town,  however,  is  purely  municipal 
and  mercantile  in  its  architecture.  The  Town 
Hall,  which  was  the  meeting-place  of  the  citi- 
zens, and  the  Belfry,  which  summoned  them 
to  arms  or  council^  are  the  chief  points  of  in- 
terest in  the  city.  The  Schelde  is  still  tidal 
to  its  very  centre. 

As  most  visitors  will  probably  stop  in  one  of 
the  hotels  on  the  Place  d'Armes,  near  the  south 
140 


The  Core  of  Ghent  141 

end  of  older  Ghent,  I  shall  frankly  take  that 
square  as  our  starting-point.  It  may  facilitate 
recognition  at  first  sight  to  add  that  the  large 
square  tower  visible  to  the  right  from  the  Place 
d'Armes,  is  that  of  the  Cathedral,  while  the 
tapering  spire,  crowned  by  a  gilt  dragon,  be- 
longs to  the  Belfry. 

Go  first  on  a  tour  of  orientation  through 
early  Ghent.  If  you  follow  these  directions 
implicitly,  you  can  see  everything  important 
in  one  short  walk.  Cross  the  Place  d'Armes 
diagonally  to  the  northeasterly  corner,  and 
follow  the  small  and  narrow  streets  which  run 
due  north  to  the  front  of  the  Cathedral.  Walk 
round  the  south  side  of  this,  to  form  a  first 
general  impression,  but  do  not  enter  it  at 
present. 

Then,  from  the  west  front  of  the  Cathedral, 
take  the  Rue  St.  Jean  straight  before  you.  The 
tower  with  the  gilded  dragon  which  faces  you 
as  you  walk  is  that  of  the  Belfry.  It  was  de- 
signed in  1 183,  about  a  century  earlier  than  that 
of  Bruges,  but  only  erected  between  1321  and 
1339;  it  is  a  fine  work  in  the  Early  Gothic 
style.  Its  windows  have  been  walled  up.  The 
tapering  turret  which  crowns  the  tower  is  un- 


1 42  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

fortunately  modern,  and  of  iron.  On  the  very 
summit  stands  a  huge  gilded  dragon,  which 
universal  tradition  represents  as  having  been 
brought  from  St.  Sophia  at  Constantinople  to 
Bruges  by  the  Crusader  Baldwin  of  Flanders 
( 1204),  and  removed  as  a  trophy  by  the  people 
of  Ghent,  under  Philip  van  Artevelde,  in  1382. 
It  certainly  appears  to  be  of  Oriental  origin, 
but  is  stated  on  documentary  evidence,  dis- 
covered by  M.  Vuylsteke,  to  have  been  made 
in  Ghent  itself  in  1380.  If  so,  it  would  seem 
at  least  to  be  based  on  an  Oriental  model. 

The  small  building  to  the  right  of  the  Belfry, 
recently  restored,  is  the  Cloth  Hall,  erected 
in  1424,  a  graceful  but  not  very  important 
Gothic  edifice,  of  the  Decorated  period,  with 
niches  vacant  of  their  statues.  The  concierge 
of  the  Belfry  now  has  a  room  in  it.  Appli- 
cation must  be  made  here  to  mount  to  the 
summit,  a  dark  and  steep  ascent.  The  ad- 
mission is  one  franc,  or  two  for  a  party. 

The  view  is  extensive  and  beautiful,  but  not 
quite  so  striking  as  that  at  Bruges.  The  prin- 
cipal buildings  of  the  city  lie  just  below  you : 
beyond,  all  Flanders.  The  chimes  are  cele- 
brated.   The  chief  bell  is  known  as  Roelandt. 


BELFRY   AND  CLOTH    HALL,   GHENT. 


The  Core  of  Ghent  143 

Now  turn  round  into  the  Botermarkt  or 
Marche  au  Beurre  to  the  right,  and  inspect 
the  Belfry  again  from  the  Httle  bay  in  the 
corner  opposite.  This  is  the  best  near  view 
of  the  tower.  The  portal  to  the  right  is  the 
entry  to  the  town  prison,  beneath  the  Belfry. 
In  its  gable  is  a  too-famous  eighteenth  cen- 
tury relief,  the  Mammelokker,  representing  the 
Roman  Daughter  feeding  her  father  from  her 
breast  at  the  window  of  the  prison,  and  doubt- 
less intended  to  excite  the  charity  of  passers-by. 
It  certainly  serves  no  other  function,  for  it  is 
neither  beautiful  nor  decorative. 

Cross  over  to  the  right  side  of  the  Butter- 
market.  The  building  on  the  left,  in  two  totally 
distinct  portions,  is  the  Hotel-de^Ville.  The 
part  at  which  you  first  arrive  (latest  in  point 
of  time)  was  rebuilt  in  the  early  Renaissance 
style  in  1595  —  1628.  It  is  one  of  the  earliest 
and  in  many  ways  the  best  example  of  Renais- 
sance architecture  in  Belgium,  in  part  because 
it  retains  certain  good  features  of  local  domestic 
building,  such  as  the  pointed  gable-ends  (round 
the  corner  to  the  left)  and  the  projecting  win- 
dows with  dormers  on  the  main  fagade.  Look 
out  for  their  origin  elsewhere.     It  has  three 


144  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

storeys,  with  projecting  half  colonnades,  the 
columns  being  Doric  on  the  ground  floor,  Ionic 
on  the  first  floor,  and  Corinthian  on  the  second. 
Recollect  the  gable-ends  and  dormers  for 
comparison  with  others  in  old  houses  in  Ghent 
hereafter. 

Now,  continue  on  to  the  corner,  where  we 
arrive  at  the  earlier  Gothic  portion  of  the 
H6tel-de-Ville,  erected  in  1518 — 1535  by 
Dominic  de  Waghemakere,  who  also  built  in 
part  the  cathedral  at  Antwerp.  The  projecting 
polygonal  corner,  with  its  handsome  balcony, 
is  very  noticeable.  The  work  is  of  the  latest 
and  most  florid  Gothic,  somewhat  lacking  in 
grace  and  dignity,  but  ornate  in  its  splendour. 
Observe  the  depressed  arches,  the  noble  cornice, 
the  rich  decoration  of  garlands.  Most  of  the 
niches  are  now  empty.  From  the  corner  op- 
posite, a  good  view  is  obtained  of  both  parts 
of  the  H6tel-de-Ville  and  also  of  the  Belfry, 

Turn  to  the  left  into  the  Rue  Haut-Port,  to 
observe  the  main  front  of  this  earlier  Gothic 
building,  with  its  fine  projecting  windows 
above,  its  empty  niches,  its  handsome  entrance 
staircase  and  main  portal,  its  beautiful  little 
balcony  for  addressing  the  people  below,  and 


The   Core  of  Ghent  145 

the  large  projecting  window  of  its  ancient 
chapel  near  the  centre.  Note  how  well  the 
fagade  is  thus  broken  up  and  diversified.  This 
is  the  finest  specimen  of  florid  Gothic  in  Bel- 
gium. Beyond  it  comes  another  Renaissance 
portion,  and  then  a  handsome  Renaissance 
dwelling-house.  The  street  also  contains 
several  fine  early  houses,  the  best  of  which,  a 
Gothic  guild-hall,  known  as  the  Cour  St. 
Georges,  stands  at  the  corner  to  the  left,  facing 
the  H6tel-de-Ville. 

The  interior  of  the  H6tel-de-Ville  need  not 
be  visited,  though  it  has  a  handsome  Gothic 
staircase  and  some  fine  halls  and  internal 
courts,  interesting  to  those  who  have  plenty 
of  time  at  their  disposal. 

Now,  return  to  the  Belfry  and  continue 
straight  down  the  left-hand  side  of  the  Rue  de 
la  Catalogue.  The  church  on  the  right,  round 
the  base  of  which  houses  have  been  allowed 
to  cluster,  is  St.  Nicholas  —  the  oldest  in  the 
town.  This  is  one  of  the  most  solid  pieces  of 
architecture  at  Ghent.  It  has  a  fine  decorated 
tower,  which  has  happily  escaped  restoration, 
besides  small  turrets  to  the  Transepts,  and  two, 
rather  larger,  to  the  gable  of  the  Nave.     Go 


146  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

on  into  the  Koornmarkt  or  Marche  aux  Bles, 
to  the  right ;  stand  there  for  a  moment,  at  the 
end  of  the  Rue  de  la  Catalogne,  to  observe  the 
fine  coup  d'ooil,  which  takes  in  St.  Nicholas, 
the  Belfry,  and  the  tower  of  the  cathedral.  The 
main  fagade  of  St.  Nicholas,  also  encumbered 
with  houses,  faces  the  Koornmarkt.  Over  the 
door  is  a  modern  figure  of  the  Saint  himself, 
raising  three  boys  who  were  salted  down  for 
meat.  Nicholas  was  the  popular  saint,  the  pa- 
tron of  the  merchants  and  burgesses;  and  the 
prominent  position  of  his  church  on  the  Corn 
Market  is  very  characteristic  of  the  burgher 
spirit  of  Ghent. 

A  hasty  glance  will  suffice  for  the  interior, 
which  is  a  characteristic  specimen  of  the  unre- 
stored  Belgian  church,  with  figures  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles,  as  always,  against  the  pillars 
of  the  Nave;  an  ugly  carved  pulpit;  short 
Transepts;  an  Apse  with  bad  glass;  and  the 
vaulting  of  Nave,  Aisles,  and  Choir  con- 
cealed by  plaster.  The  tawdry  decorations 
render  what  might  be  a  fine  interior  wholly 
unimpressive.  The  High  Altar  has  an  altar- 
piece  by  Liemakere,  representing,  in  the  con- 
fused style  of  the  School  of  Rubens,  the  elec- 


VAN    DYCK.  —  CRUCIFIXION. 


The  Core  of  Ghent  147 

tion  of  St.  Nicholas  as  Bishop  of  Myra.  Above 
is  an  eighteenth  century  figure  of  the  Saint, 
raising  three  boys  from  the  tub.  The  early 
pillars  of  the  Choir  are  really  handsome. 

On  emerging  from  the  front  of  the  church, 
continue  straight  on  to  the  bridge  which 
crosses  the  Lys,  affording  a  good  view  to  the 
left  of  the  Apse  of  St.  Michel.  Then,  go  along 
the  side  of  this  handsome  church,  with  late 
Gothic  windows  resembling  English  Perpen- 
dicular. It  has  a  solid  but  unfinished  tower, 
and  a  good  west  portal,  robbed  of  its  sculp- 
ture and  cruelly  mutilated.  A  glimpse  at  the 
interior,  which  has  been  scraped  and  renovated, 
will  show  at  once  the  fine  architecture.  The 
nave  has  impressive  round  pillars,  windows  in 
the  clerestory,  and  excellent  brick  vaulting. 
The  vaulted  aisles  are  surrounded  by  chapels. 
The  choir  is  very  handsome.  In  the  north 
transept  is  a  famous  but  overrated  *  Cruci- 
fixion by  Van  Dyck,  not  without  beauty  of  con- 
ception and  composition,  but  spoiled  by 
restorations.  Walk  round  the  transepts  and 
ambulatory.  There  are  some  good  works  of 
the  School  of  Rubens. 

Now,  continue  along  the  quay,  on  the  same 


148  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

side  as  St.  Michel  (observing  as  you  go  that 
the  early  town  extended  to  both  banks  of  the 
river),  in  order  to  view  the  fagade  of  the  hand- 
some ''  Maison  des  Bateliers,"  or  Guild  House 
of  the  Skippers,  erected  in  1531  for  the  masters 
of  the  shipping  of  Ghent,  in  somewhat  the  same 
florid  late-Gothic  style  as  the  H6tel-de-Ville. 
This  is  the  finest  existing  specimen  of  old 
Flemish  houses.  Over  the  doorway  is  an  appro- 
priate relief  of  a  ship,  somewhat  antiquated 
and  heraldic  in  character.  By  the  side  of  this 
Guild-house  are  two  others,  less  interesting: 
the  first,  the  Guild-house  of  the  Grain  Meas- 
urers; the  next,  very  old  and  dilapidated, 
the  Staple  House  of  Corn,  Romanesque,  said 
to  be  the  earliest  civil  building  in  Belgium. 
Several  fine  gable-ends  are  seen  to  the  left,  in- 
cluding one  with  Renaissance  architecture,  on 
this  side  of  the  Lys.  At  the  moment  of  writing, 
the  houses  next  to  the  Skippers'  Guild  are  in 
course  of  demolition,  exposing  a  bare  side  of 
the  old  Hall  most  unpicturesquely. 

Now,  retrace  your  steps  over  the  Bridge,  and 
through  the  Corn  Market,  almost  wholly 
modernized,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  gabled 
houses. 


The  Core  of  Ghent  149 

The  next  little  square  at  which  we  arrive  is 
the  Marche  aux  Herbes.  Its  west  side  is  oc- 
cupied by  the  ancient  but  uninteresting  Grande 
Boucherie.  Turn  to  the  left  by  the  corner  of 
the  Boucherie,  with  Our  Lady  and  Child  in  a 
niche,  and  cross  the  bridge  to  the  other  side  of 
the  Lys.  On  the  left  are  two  handsome  old 
houses.  In  front  rise  the  gateway  and  bastions 
of  the  Oudeburg,  or  Castle  of  the  Princes. 
This  was  the  primitive  palace  of  the  Counts 
of  Flanders  in  Ghent.  The  irregular  little 
square  in  front  of  it  is  known  as  the  Place  Ste. 
Pharailde.  The  castle  has  recently  been  cleared 
from  the  numerous  modern  houses  which  en- 
cumbered and  hid  it.  The  first  stronghold  on 
this  site  was  erected  in  868.  The  existing 
ruins  of  the  gateway,  with  round  Romanesque 
arches,  date  back  to  1180;  the  square  keep 
behind  is  of  the  tenth  century.  In  this  palace 
Jacob  van  Artevelde  entertained  Edward  III. 
When  Edward  returned  to  England,  he  left 
Queen  Philippa  here,  and  during  his  absence 
she  bore,  in  the  Monastery  of  St.  Bavon,  her 
third  son,  John  of  Gaunt,  who  took  his  well- 
known  surname  from  the  place  of  his  birth. 
It  was  on  Edward's  return  to  Flanders,  ac- 


1 50  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

companied  by  the  ladies  of  Philippa's  suite, 
that  he  found  the  French  fleet  drawn  up  near 
Sluys  to  prevent  his  entry  into  the  port  of 
Bruges,  on  which  occasion  he  gained  the  first 
great  English  naval  victory.  The  Castle, 
which  is  now  in  course  of  partial  restoration, 
is  closely  bound  up  with  the  greatness  of  Van 
Artevelde  and  the  heroic  period  in  the  history 
of  Ghent. 

Walk  round  it  to  note  its  extent  and  its 
commanding  position  at  the  point  where  the 
bridge  crosses  the  Lys  to  the  main  part  of  the 
town. 

The  opposite  corner  of  the  Place  Ste.  Phar- 
ailde  has  a  Renaissance  gateway,  reerected  in 
imitation  of  the  original  by  Arthus  Quellin, 
and  adorned  with  sculptures  of  Neptune,  the 
Schelde,  and  the  Lys,  the  sources  of  Ghent's 
greatness.  It  leads  to  the  Fish-market. 
Around   are  several  good  old  houses. 

Continue  along  the  quay  on  the  same  side 
of  the  river  as  the  Oudeburg,  as  far  as  the 
Pont  du  Laitage,  just  before  reaching  which 
you  pass  on  your  left  two  seventeenth  century 
houses  with  reliefs  (the  Works  of  Charity, 
a  Flying  Hart,  etc.).     Cross  the  bridge  and 


The  Core  of  Ghent  151 

turn  to  the  right  as  far  as  the  big  cannon, 
known  as  "  Dulle  Griete  "  or  "  Mad  Margaret," 
dating  back  to  the  fourteenth  century.  By  the 
touch-hole  are  the  Cross  of  St.  Andrew  and 
the  arms  of  Phihppe  le  Bon  of  Burgundy. 

Turn  into  the  large  square  in  front  of  you. 
The  building,  with  a  tower  at  the  corner  and 
high  gables,  which  faces  you  at  the  end  of 
the  street  as  you  advance,  is  one  of  the  best 
old  mediaeval  houses  in  Ghent,  the  Collacie- 
Zolder,  or  Municipal  Council-Room,  of  the 
thirteenth  or  fourteenth  century.  It  has  an 
interesting  little  pulpit  or  balcony  at  its  corner, 
with  a  bell,  from  which  addresses  could  be 
made  to  the  people.  The  towers  that  face  you 
a  little  to  the  left  are  those  of  St.  Jacques,  to 
be  visited  presently. 

Continue  into  the  square,  at  the  corner  of 
which  is  the  Municipal  Council-Room.  This 
is  the  Vrydagmarkt  or  Marche  du  Vendredi, 
in  which  a  strikingly  picturesque  market  is 
still  held  every  Friday  morning.  If  possible, 
visit  it.  The  square  was  the  forum  of  old 
Ghent  and  the  meeting-place  of  the  citizens. 
A  few  fine  old  buildings  in  the  native  local 
style  still  surround  it.     The  centre  is  appro- 


152  Belgium:    Its   Cities 

priately  occupied  by  a  modern  colossal  statue 
of  Jacob  van  Artevelde,  addressing  the  cit- 
izens in  his  famous  speech  when  he  excited 
them  to  opposition  to  the  Count  of  Flanders 
with  his  Gallicizing  policy.  At  the  base  are 
allegorical  figures  of  Flanders,  and  of  the 
Belgian  towns,  wearing  mural  crowns.  The 
reliefs  represent  Van  Artevelde's  three  chief 
diplomatic  triumphs,  —  the  League  of  Ghent 
with  Bruges  and  Ypres ;  the  League  of  Flan- 
ders and  England;  the  League  of  Flanders, 
Brabant,  and  Hainault.  In  this  square  the 
most  important  events  in  the  history  of  early 
Flanders  took  place.  Here  the  citizens  of 
Ghent  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  each  new 
count  on  his  accession,  after  they  had  com- 
pelled him  to  swear  in  good  old  Teutonic  style 
"  to  uphold  and  see  upheld  all  the  standing 
wits  (laws),  fore-rights  (regulations),  free- 
hoods,  and  wonts  of  the  Countship  and  town 
of  Ghent."  The  guilds  which  had  their  halls 
around  met  here  to  oppose  arbitrary  action 
on  the  part  of  their  sovereign.  Here,  too, 
the  parties  within  the  town  itself  frequently 
joined  issue  in  civil  contest.  In  later  times, 
the   Duke  of   Alva   perpetrated   most   of   his 


The  Core  of  Ghent  153 

shameful  executions  on  this  spot.  The  site 
of  the  statue  of  Van  Artevelde  was  originally 
occupied  by  one  of  Charles  V.,  who  was  born 
in  Ghent,  in  a  palace  now  destroyed,  and  whose 
history  is  intimately  connected  with  this  town, 
always  one  of  his  principal  residences.  The 
statue  was  destroyed  in  1794  by  the  French 
invaders.    The  picture  is  in  the  Museum. 

Turn  up  at  the  corner  by  the  Municipal 
Council-Room  and  take  the  first  street  to  the 
left,  which  leads  you  into  the  Place  St.  Jacques, 
occupied  by  the  Church  of  St.  Jacques.  The 
faqade,  with  the  two  towers,  was  Romanesque, 
but  has  been  restored  in  such  a  wholesale  way 
as  to  destroy  its  interest.  The  remainder  of  the 
church  is  Gothic.  Walk  round  it  so  as  to  ob- 
serve its  features,  noticing  in  particular  the 
quaint  stone  spire  of  the  right-hand  tower. 
The  interior  might  be  good,  were  it  not  spoiled 
by  tawdry  decorations.  The  pulpit  has  a  mar- 
ble figure  of  the  patron,  St.  James,  with  the 
pilgrim's  staff  and  gourd,  emblematic  of  his 
connection  with  the  great  place  of  pilgrimage 
of  Santiago  de  Compostella.  The  vaulting 
has  been  freed  from  excrescences,  and  is 
excellent  of  its  kind.     The  High  Altar  has 


154  Belgium:    Its  Cities 

a  figure  of  St.  James  above,  and  a  painting 
of  his  martyrdom  beneath. 

This  walk  will  have  led  you  through  the 
principal  part  of  early  Ghent.  Hence  you  may 
return  either  by  the  Cathedral  or  by  the  chief 
line  of  business  streets  which  runs  direct  from 
the  Pont  du  Laitage  to  the  modern  Palais  de 
Justice  and  the  Place  d'Armes. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE   CATHEDRAL  OF  GHENT 

THE  local  patron  saint  of  Ghent  is  St. 
Bavon,  a  somewhat  dubious  personage, 
belonging  to  the  first  age  of  Christianity  in 
Flanders,  of  whom  little  is  known.  Legend 
describes  him  as  a  "  Duke  of  Brabant  "  in  the 
seventh  century  (of  course  an  anachronism). 
He  seems  to  have  been  a  nobleman  of  Hesbaie 
who  spent  his  life  as  a  soldier  "  and  in  worldly 
pleasures ;  "  but  when  he  was  fifty,  his  wife 
died,  and,  overwhelmed  with  grief,  he  gave  up 
all  his  possessions  to  be  distributed  among  the 
poor,  and  entered  a  cell  or  monastery  in  Ghent, 
of  which  St.  Amand  (see  later)  was  the 
founder.  Of  this  he  became  abbot.  At  last, 
finding  the  monastic  life  not  sufficiently  aus- 
tere, the  new  saint  took  refuge  in  a  hollow 
tree  in  a  forest,  and  there  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days.     His  emblem  is  a  falcon.     The 


156  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

monastery  of  St.  Bavon  long  existed  at  Ghent ; 
some  of  its  ruins  still  remain,  and  will  be  de- 
scribed hereafter.  To  this  local  saint,  accord- 
ingly, it  might  seem  fitting  that  the  Cathedral 
of  Ghent  should  be  dedicated.  But  in  reality 
the  building  was  at  first  a  parish  church  under 
the  invocation  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  only 
received  the  relics  and  name  of  St.  Bavon  after 
1540,  when  Charles  V.  destroyed  the  monas- 
tery, as  will  be  described  hereafter. 

The  real  interest  of  the  Cathedral  centres, 
however,  not  in  St.  Bavon,  nor  in  his  picture 
by  Rubens,  but  in  the  great  polyptych  of  the 
Adoration  of  the  Lamb,  the  masterpiece  of 
Jan  van  Eyck  and  his  brother  Hubert,  which 
forms  in  a  certain  sense  the  point  of  departure 
for  the  native  art  of  the  Netherlands.  This  is 
therefore  a  convenient  place  in  which  to  con- 
sider the  position  of  these  two  great  painters. 
They  were  born  at  Maaseyck  or  Eyck-sur- 
Meuse  near  Maastricht;  Hubert,  the  elder, 
about  1360  or  1370;  Jan,  the  younger,  about 
1390.  The  only  undoubted  work  of  Hubert 
is  the  altar-piece  in  St.  Bavon,  and  even  this 
is  only  his  in  part,  having  been  completed  after 
his  death  by  his  brother  Jan.    Hubert  probably 


The   Cathedral  of  Ghent       157 

derived  his  teaching  from  the  School  of  the 
Lx)wer  Rhine,  which  first  in  the  North  at- 
tained any  importance,  and  which  had  its 
chief  exponents  at  Maastricht  and  Cologne. 
Of  this  School,  he  was  the  final  flower.  Though 
not,  as  commonly  said,  the  inventor  of  oil- 
painting,  he  was  the  first  artist  who  employed 
the  process  in  its  developed  form,  and  he  also 
made  immense  advances  in  naturalness  of 
drawing  and  truth  of  spirit.  Jan  was  probably 
a  pupil  of  Hubert ;  he  lived  at  Ghent  while  the 
great  picture  of  the  Adoration  of  the  Lamb 
was  still  being  completed ;  later,  he  was  painter 
by  appointment  to  the  court  of  the  Dukes  of 
Burgundy,  and  had  a  house  at  Bruges,  where 
he  died  in  1440.  He  was  also  employed  on 
various  missions  abroad,  accompanying  embas- 
sies as  far  as  to  Portugal.  His  painting, 
though  less  ideal  and  beautiful  than  that  of 
his  great  successor  Meiuling,  is  marvellous  in 
its  truth:  it  has  an  extraordinary  charm  of 
purity  of  colour,  vividness  of  delineation,  and 
fine  portrayal  of  character.  Indeed,  all  the 
early  Flemish  artists  were  essentially  portrait 
painters ;  they  copied  with  fidelity  whatever 
was  set  before  them,  whether  it  were  fabrics. 


158  Belgium:    Its   Cities 

furniture,  jewelry,  flowers,  or  the  literal  faces 
and  figures  of  men  and  women. 

Hubert  and  Jan  van  Eyck,  however,  were 
not  so  much  in  strictness  the  founders  of  a 
school  as  the  culminating  point  of  early  Ger- 
man art,  to  which  they  gave  a  new  Flemish 
direction.  Their  work  was  almost,  perfect  in 
its  own  kind.  Their  successors  did  not  sur- 
pass them:  in  some  respects  they  even  fell 
short  of  them. 

The  Adoration  of  the  Lamb  is  by  far  the 
most  important  thing  to  be  seen  at  Ghent. 
But  it  is  viewed  at  some  disadvantage  in  the 
church,  and  is  so  full  of  figures  and  meaning 
that  it  cannot  be  taken  in  without  long  study. 
I  strongly  advise  you,  therefore,  to  buy  a  photo- 
graph of  the  entire  composition  beforehand, 
and  try  to  understand  as  much  as  possible  of 
the  picture  by  comparing  it  with  the  account 
here  given,  the  evening  before  you  visit  the 
picture.  You  will  then  be  able  more  readily  to 
grasp  the  actual  work,  in  form  and  colour, 
when  you  see  it. 

The  Cathedral  is  open  daily  (for  viewing 
the  pictures,  etc. )  from  ten  to  twelve,  and  from 
four  to  six.    Between  twelve  and  four  you  can 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent       159 

also  get  in  by  knocking  loudly  on  the  dcx>r  in 
the  West  Front. 

Go  straight  from  your  hotel  to  the  Cathedral, 
—  built  as  the  parish  church  of  St.  John  about 
1250 — 1300;  rededicated  to  St.  Bavon,  1540; 
erected  into  a  bishop's  see,  1 599.  Stand  before 
the  West  Front  at  a  little  distance,  to  examine 
the  simple  but  massive  architecture  of  the 
tower  and  facade. 

The  great  portal  has  been  robbed  of  the 
statues  which  once  adorned  its  niches.  Three 
have  been  "  restored :  "  they  represent,  centre, 
the  Saviour;  left,  the  patron,  St.  Bavon,  rec- 
ognizable by  his  falcon,  his  sword  as  duke,  and 
his  book  as  monk;  he  wears  armour,  with  a 
ducal  robe  and  cap  above  it;  right,  St.  John 
the  Baptist,  the  earlier  patron. 

Then,  walk,  to  the  right,  round  the  south 
side,  to  observe  the  external  architecture  of 
the  nave,  aisles,  and  choir.  The  latter  has  the 
characteristic  rounded  or  apsidal  termination 
of  Continental  Gothic,  whereas  English  Gothic 
has  usually  a  square  end.  Enter  by  the  south 
portal. 

The  interior,  with  single  aisles  and  short 
transepts    (early   Gothic),   is   striking   for   its 


i6o  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

simple  dignity,  its  massive  pillars,  and  its  high 
arches,  though  the  undeniably  noble  effect  of 
the  whole  is  somewhat  marred  to  English  eyes 
by  the  unusual  appearance  of  the  unadorned 
brick  walls  and  vaulting.  The  pulpit,  by  Del- 
vaux  (1745),  partly  in  oak,  partly  in  marble, 
represents  Truth  revealing  the  Christian  Faith 
to  astonished  Paganism  (figured  as  an  old 
and  outworn  man)  :  it  is  a  model  of  all  that 
should  be  avoided  in  plastic  or  religious  art. 
The  screen  which  separates  the  Choir  from  the 
Transepts  is  equally  unfortunate.  The  apsidal 
end  of  the  Choir,  however,  with  its  fine  modern 
stained  glass,  forms  a  very  pleasing  feature 
in  the  general  coup  d'cril. 

Begin  the  examination  in  detail  with  the  left 
or  north  aisle.  The  first  chapel,  that  of  the 
Holy  Cross,  contains  a  Pieta  by  Janssens  and  a 
Descent  from  the  Cross  by  Rombouts,  good 
works  of  the  school  of  Rubens.  The  third 
chapel,  that  of  St.  Macarius  or  St.  Macaire 
(an  object  of  local  worship  whom  we  shall 
meet  again  elsewhere  at  Ghent),  has  a  modern 
statue  of  the  saint,  and  a  pleasing  decoration 
in  polychrome.  The  right  or  south  aisle  has 
nothing  of  importance. 


PULPIT   OF   THE    CATHEDRAL,    GHENT. 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent      i6i 

A  short  flight  of  stq)s  leads  to  the  ambula- 
tory, whose  black  and  white  marble  screen,  on 
the  side  toward  the  Choir,  is  not  without 
dignity. 

The  sacristan  opens  the  locked  chapels  in  the 
ambulatory  (flamboyant),  beginning  at  the 
steps  on  the  right  or  south  side  of  the  Choir. 
You  will  find  him  in  the  sacristy,  in  the  north 
Transept.     Do  not  let  him  hurry  you. 

The  first  chapel  contains  a  tolerable  triptych 
by  F.  Pourbus  (son  of  Peter),  with  the  Find- 
ing of  Christ  in  the  Temple  for  its  central  sub- 
ject and  the  Circumcision  and  Baptism  on  the 
inner  wings.  Notice  in  the  last  the  conven- 
tional attitudes  of  the  Baptist,  the  Saviour,  and 
the  angel  with  the  towel,  as  in  the  Gerard 
David  and  all  old  examples  of  this  subject :  but 
the  semi-nude  figure  undressing  in  the  fore- 
ground is  an  unhappy  innovation  of  the  Re- 
naissance. Many  of  the  heads  in  the  central 
picture  are  portraits  :  Alva,  Charles  V.,  Philip 
II.,  and  Pourbus  himself.  On  the  outer  wings 
is  a  good  *  portrait  of  the  donor  (Viglius) 
adoring  the  Saviour  (1571). 

Third  chapel.  Crucifixion,  by  Gerard  van 
der  Meire,  of  Ghent.    On  the  left  wing,  Moses 


1 62  Belgium:   Its  Cities 

striking  the  Rock,  symbolical  of  the  fountain 
of  living  water,  Christ.  On  the  right  wing, 
the  Elevation  of  the  Brazen  Serpent,  symbolical 
of  the  Crucifixion.  This  is  a  mystic  "  typical  " 
picture,  interesting  only  for  its  symbolism. 
Note  the  Flemish  love  of  such  subjects. 

The  fourth  chapel  contains  a  good  tomb  of 
Cornelius  Jansen  and  Willem  Lindau,  the  two 
first  bishops  of  Ghent  (bishopric  founded  only 
in  1599)  with  fair  recumbent  figures  of  the 
early  seventeenth  century. 

Fifth  chapel.  Coxcie.  Lazarus  and  Dives : 
a  mediocre  picture. 

Mount  the  steps  to  the  upper  ambulatory. 

The  sixth  chapel  (of  the  Vydts  family)  con- 
tains the  famous  altar-piece  of  the  **  Adora- 
tion of  the  Lamb,  by  Hubert  and  Jan  van  Eyck, 
to  study  which  is  the  chief  object  of  a  visit  to 
Ghent.  See  it  more  than  once,  and  examine 
it  carefully.  Ask  the  sacristan  to  let  you  sit 
before  it  for  some  time  in  quiet,  or  he  will 
hurry  you  on.  You  must  observe  it  in  close 
detail. 

As  a  whole,  the  work  before  you  is  not 
entirely  by  the  two  Van  Eycks.  The  Adam 
and  Eve  on  the  outer  upper  shutters  of  the 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent       163 

interior  (originally  by  Hubert)  have  been  al- 
together removed,  and  are  now  in  the  Museum 
at  Brussels,  where  we  shall  see  them  in  due 
course.  Their  place  has  been  filled,  not  by 
copies  (for  the  originals  were  nude),  but  by 
skin-clad  representations  of  the  same  figures, 
whose  nudity  seemed  to  the  Emperor  Joseph 
II.  unsuitable  for  a  church.  The  lower  wings, 
which  were  principally  (it  is  believed)  by  Jan 
van  Eyck,  have  also  been  removed,  and  sold 
to  Berlin.  They  are  replaced  by  very  tolerable 
copies,  made  in  the  early  sixteenth  century  by 
Michael  Coxcie.  Thus,  to  form  an  idea  of  the 
detail  of  the  original  in  its  full  totality,  it  is 
necessary  to  visit,  not  only  Ghent,  but  also 
Brussels  and  Berlin.  Nevertheless,  I  describe 
the  whole  picture  here  as  it  stands,  as  this  is 
the  best  place  to  observe  its  general  composi- 
tion. I  shall  say  a  few  words  later  as  to 
variations  of  this  work  from  the  original. 
There  is  a  good  copy  of  the  whole  picture  in 
the  Museum  at  Antwerp,  where  you  will  be 
able  to  inspect  it  at  greater  length  and  under 
easier  conditions.  The  remaining  portions  of 
the  original  still  left  here  are  believed  to  be 
for  the  most  part  the  work  of  Hubert  van 


164  Belgium:    Its  Cities 

Eyck.  Jan  must  rather  be  studied  in  many 
scattered  places,  —  Bruges,  Brussels,  Berlin, 
Paris,  Madrid,  and  London. 

The  altar-piece  was  commissioned  from 
Hubert  van  Eyck  by  Josse  Vydts  ( Latinised  as 
Jodocus),  a  gentleman  of  Ghent,  and  his  wife, 
Isabella,  about  the  year  1420.  Hubert  died 
while  the  polyptych  was  still  unfinished,  and 
Jan  completed  it  in  1432.  Too  much  impor- 
tance has  been  attached  by  critics,  I  fancy,  to 
the  rhyming  hexameter  inscribed  upon  it  ( with 
the  words  "  De  Eyck "  unmetrically  intro- 
duced) :  "  Pictor  Hubertus  major  quo  nemo 
repertus,"  etc.  They  have  been  twisted  into 
a  deliberate  expression  of  belief  on  the  part  of 
Jan  that  Hubert  was  a  greater  painter  than  him- 
self. If  so,  it  seems  to  me,  Jan  was  a  worse 
critic  than  painter.  They  are  probably  due, 
however,  to  a  somewhat  affected  modesty,  or 
more  probably  still,  to  a  priestly  poet  who  was 
in  straits  to  find  a  rhyme  for  Hubertus. 

I  proceed  to  a  detailed  explanation  of  the 
picture. 

The  subject,  in  its  entirety,  is  the  Adoration 
of  the  Lamb  that  was  Slain,  and  it  is  mainly 
based  on  the  passage  in  the  Apocalypse :    "  I 


u 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent       165 

looked,  and  lo,  a  Lamb  stood  on  the  Mount 
Zion,  and  with  Him  an  hundred  and  forty  and 
four  thousand,  having  His  Father's  name  writ- 
ten in  their  foreheads.  .  .  .  And  I  heard  the 
voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps." 
Elsewhere  we  read  :  "  I  beheld,  and,  lo,  a  great 
multitude,  which  no  man  could  number,  clothed 
with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands. 
.  .  .  These  are  they  which  came  out  of  great 
tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes,  and 
made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 
Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God ; 
and  He  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  to 
living  fountains  of  waters,  and  shall  wipe  away 
all  tears  from  their  eyes."  Much  of  the 
imagery,  however,  I  believe,  is  also  taken  from 
the  Te  Deum. 

Lower  Tier. 

The  central  panel  (original:  attributed  to 
Hubert)  represents  in  its  middle  the  altar, 
hung  with  red  damask,  and  covered  with  a 
white  cloth,  on  which  the  Lamb  of  God  is 
standing.  His  blood  flows  into  a  crystal 
chalice.  (This  part  is  clearly  symbolical  of  the 
Eucharist.)  Upon  Him,  from  above,  descends 
the  Holy  Ghost,  in  the  form  of  a  dove,  sent  out 


1 66  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

by  the  Eternal  Father,  who  occupies  the  central 
panel  on  top.  Around  the  altar  are  grouped 
adoring  angels,  with  many-coloured  wings, 
holding  the  instruments  of  the  Passion  —  the 
Cross,  the  Spear,  the  Sponge,  and  the  Column 
to  which  Christ  was  fastened  for  flagellation. 
In  front  of  it,  two  angels  swing  censers.  The 
flowery  foreground  is  occupied  by  the  Foun- 
tain of  Life,  from  which  pure  water  flows 
limpid,  to  irrigate  the  smiling  fields  of  Para- 
dise. Four  bands  of  worshippers  converge 
toward  this  centre.  On  the  left-hand  side, 
stand,  kneel,  or  ride,  a  group  of  worshippers 
representing,  as  a  whole,  the  secular  aspect  of 
the  Christian  Church  —  the  laity.  The  fore- 
ground of  this  group  is  occupied  by  the  pre- 
cursors of  Christ.  Conspicuous  among  them 
the  Jewish  prophets  in  front  and  then  the 
Greek  poets  and  philosophers,  —  Homer,  Plato, 
Aristotle,  —  whom  mediaeval  charity  regarded 
as  inspired  in  a  secondary  degree  by  the  Spirit 
of  Wisdom.  Homer,  in  white,  is  crowned  with 
laurel.  The  group  also  includes  kings  and 
other  important  secular  personages.  The 
right-hand  side,  opposite,  is  occupied  by  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Church,  showing  the  religious 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent      167 

as  opposed  to  the  secular  half  of  the  Qiristian 
world.  In  the  front  rank  kneel  fourteen  per- 
sons, the  Twelve  Apostles  ( with  Paul  and  Mat- 
thias) in  simple  robes,  barefooted;  behind  them 
are  ranged  all  the  orders  of  the  hierarchy  — 
canonized  popes,  with  their  attendant  deacons; 
archbishops,  bishops,  and  other  dignitaries. 

The  background  shows  two  other  groups, 
one  of  which  (to  the  left)  consists  of  the  mar- 
tyrs, bearing  their  palms  of  martyrdom,  and 
including  in  their  number  popes,  cardinals, 
bishops,  and  other  ecclesiastics.  The  inner 
meaning  of  this  group  is  further  emphasized  by 
the  symbolical  presence  of  a  palm-tree  behind 
them.  To  balance  them  on  the  right  advance 
the  Virgins,  conspicuous  among  whom  are  St. 
Agnes  with  her  lamp,  St.  Barbara  with  her 
tower,  St.  Catherine,  and  St.  Dorothy  with  her 
roses :  many  of  them  carry  palms  of  martyr- 
dom. These  various  groups  thus  illustrate  the 
words  of  the  Te  Deum,  representing  "  the  glori- 
ous company  of  the  apostles,"  "  the  goodly 
fellowship  of  the  prophets,"  "  the  noble  army 
of  martyrs,"  "  the  Holy  Church  throughout  all 
the  world,"  etc.,  in.  adoration  of  the  Lamb  that 


1 68  Belgium  :  Its  Cities 

was  Slain.  (A  chorus  of  Apostles,  of  Proph- 
ets, of  Martyrs,  of  Virgins  is  common  in  art.) 

The  more  distant  background  is  occupied  by 
towered  cities,  typifying  perhaps  the  new 
Jerusalem,  but  adorned  with  Flemish  or  Rhen- 
ish turrets  and  domes,  and  painted  with  Flem- 
ish minuteness  and  exactitude. 

On  the  front  of  the  altar  are  written  in  Latin 
the  words,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God  that 
taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world." 

The  Left  Wings  (inferior  copy  by  Coxcie: 
originals,  probably  by  Jan,  now  at  Berlin) 
form  a  continuation  of  the  scene  of  the  Prophets 
and  the  secular  side  of  Christendom  in  the 
central  panel,  and  represent,  in  the  First  or 
Inner  Half,  the  Orders  of  Chivalry  and  the 
mediaeval  knighthood  riding,  as  on  a  crusade 
or  pilgrimage,  toward  the  Lamb  that  was  Slain. 
At  their  head  go  the  soldier  saints,  St.  George, 
St.  Adrian,  St.  Maurice,  and  St.  Charlemagne 
(for  the  great  emperor  Karl  is  also  a  canonized 
person).  The  action  of  the  horses  throughout 
is  admirable.  The  Second  or  Outer  Half  (ill 
described  as  "  the  Just  Judges  ")  represents 
the  Merchants  and  Burgesses,  among  whom 
two  portraits  in  the  foreground  are  pointed  out 


The   Cathedral  of  Ghent       169 

by  tradition  as  those  of  Hubert  and  Jan  van 
Eyck  (Hubert  in  front,  on  a  white  horse: 
Jan  behind,  in  a  dark  brown  dress,  trimmed 
with  fur).  But  this  detail  is  unimportant: 
what  matters  is  the  colour  and  composition  on 
one  hand,  the  idea  on  the  other.  These  two 
panels,  therefore,  with  the  group  in  front  of 
them,  are  to  be  taken  as  representing  the  Secu- 
lar World  —  learned,  noble,  knightly,  or  mer- 
cantile —  in  adoration  of  the  central  truth  of 
Christianity  as  manifested  in  the  Holy  Eucha- 
rist. 

The  corresponding  Right  Wings  (copy  by 
Coxcie:  originals,  probably  by  Jan,  at  Berlin) 
show  respectively  the  Hermits  and  Pilgrims 
—  the  contemplative  and  ascetic  complement  of 
the  ecclesiastical  group  in  front  of  them :  the 
monastic  as  opposed  to  the  beneficed  clerics. 
The  First  or  Inner  Half  shows  the  Eremites, 
amongst  whom  are  notable  St.  Anthony  with 
his  crutch,  and,  in  the  background,  St.  Mary 
Magdalen  with  her  box  of  ointment,  emerging 
from  her  cave  (the  Sainte  Baume),  in  Pro- 
vence, in  her  character  as  the  Penitent  in  the 
Desert.  On  the  Second  or  Outer  Half,  the  body 
of  Pilgrims  is  led  by  the  gigantic  form  of  St. 


lyo  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

Christopher,  with  his  staff  and  bare  legs  for 
wading;  behind  whom  is  a  pilgrim  with  a 
scallop-shell,  and  many  other  figures,  not  all 
of  them  (to  me)  identifiable.  Here  again  the 
presence  of  palms  in  the  background  marks  the 
esoteric  idea  of  martyrdom. 

I  need  not  call  attention  throughout  to  the 
limpid  sky,  the  fleecy  clouds,  the  lovely  trees, 
the  exquisite  detail  of  architecture  and  land- 
scape. 

Upper  tier. 

The  three  central  panels  (original)  are  at- 
tributed to  Hubert.  That  in  the  middle  repre- 
sents, not  (I  feel  sure)  as  is  commonly  said, 
Christ,  but  God  the  Father  ( "  Therefore  they 
are  before  the  throne  of  God  ")  wearing  the 
triple  crown  (like  the  Pope),  holding  the 
sceptre,  and  with  his  right  hand  raised  in  the 
attitude  of  benediction.  His  face  is  majestic, 
grave,  passionless :  his  dress  kingly :  a  gor- 
geous morse  fastens  his  jewelled  robe  of  regal 
red.  At  his  feet  lies  the  crown  of  earthly  sov- 
ereignty. He  seems  to  discharge  the  Holy 
Ghost  on  the  Lamb  beneath  himi.  The  word 
Sabaoth,  embroidered  on  his  garments,  marks 
him,  I  think,  as  the  Father :    indeed,  the  Son 


H.   AND   J.   VAN    EYCK.  —  GOD  THE   FATHER 
(Detail  from  the  Adoration  of  the  Lamb). 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent       171 

could  hardly  preside  at  the  sacrifice  of  the 
Lamb,  even  in  the  Eucharist. 

On  the  right  of  the  Father,  in  the  panel  to 
the  spectator's  left  (Hubert:  original),  Our 
Lady,  crowned,  as  Queen  of  Heaven,  sits  read- 
ing in  her  blue  robe.  Her  face  is  far  more 
graceful  than  is  usual  in  Flemish  art:  indeed, 
she  is  the  most  charming  of  Flemish  Madon- 
nas. Behind  her  is  stretched  a  hanging  of  fine 
brocade. 

The  panel  to  the  right  (Hubert:  original) 
shows  St.  John  the  Baptist,  with  his  camel-hair 
garment,  covered  by  a  flowing  green  mantle. 
The  folds  of  all  these  draperies  in  Hubert's 
three  figures,  though  simple,  have  great  gran- 
deur. 

The  Outer  Wing  to  the  left  (substituted 
clothed  figure,  not  a  copy :  original,  by  Hubert, 
at  Brussels)  has  Adam,  as  typical  (with  Eve) 
of  unregenerate  humanity:  a  sense  further 
marked  by  the  Offerings  of  Cain  and  Abel 
above  it. 

The  Outer  Wing  to  the  right  has  an  Eve  with 
the  apple  (similarly  clad,  not  copied  from  the 
original,  by  Hubert,  now  at  Brussels)  :  above 
it,  the  First  Murder. 


172  Belgium:   Its    Cities 

The  Inner  Left  Wing  (copy :  the  original,  at- 
tributed to  Jan,  is  at  Berlin)  has  a  beautiful 
■group  of  singing  angels. 

The  inner  right  wing  (copy:  the  original, 
likewise  attributed  to  Jan,  is  also  at  Berlin) 
has  an  angel  (not  St.  Cecilia)  playing  an 
organ,  with  other  angels  accompanying  on 
various  musical  instruments. 

Taking  it  in  its  entirety,  then,  the  altar- 
piece,  when  opened,  is  a  great  mystical  poem 
of  the  Eucharist  and  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Lamb, 
with  the  Christian  folk,  both  Church  and 
World,  adoring.  It  was  in  order  to  prepare 
your  mind  for  recognition  of  this  marked  strain 
of  mysticism  in  the  otherwise  prosaic  and  prac- 
tical Flemish  temperament,  that  I  called  your 
attention  at  Bruges  to  several  mystic  or  type- 
emphasizing  pictures,  in  themselves  of  com- 
paratively small  aesthetic  value. 

The  composition  contains  over  two  hundred 
figures.  Many  of  them,  which  I  have  not  here 
identified,  can  be  detected  by  a  closer  inspec- 
tion, which,  however,  I  will  leave  to  the  reader. 

Now,  ask  the  sacristan  to  shut  the  wings. 
They  are  painted  on  the  outer  side  (all  a  copy) 
mainly  in  grisaille,  or  in  very  low  tones  of 


H.   AND  J.   VAN    EYCK.  —  SINGING    ANGELS 

(Detail  from  the  Adoration  of  the  Lamb). 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent       173 

colour,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  so  as  to 
allow  the  jewel-like  brilliancy  of  the  internal 
picture  to  burst  upon  the  observer  the  moment 
the  altar-piece  is  opened. 

The  lower  wings  have  (in  this  copy)  repre- 
sentations of  the  Four  Evangelists,  in  niches, 
in  imitation  of  statuary.  Observe  the  half- 
classical  pose  and  costume  of  Luke,  the  Beloved 
Physician.  These  figures,  however,  were  not 
so  arranged  in  the  original,  as  I  shall  after- 
ward explain. 

The  upper  wings  represent  on  their  first  or 
lowest  tier,  the  Annunciation,  a  frequent  sub- 
ject for  such  divided  shutters.  In  the  centre 
is  the  usual  arcade,  giving  a  glimpse  of  the 
town  of  Ghent  where  Hubert  painted  it. 
(The  scene  is  said  to  be  Hubert's  own  studio, 
which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  Cafe  des  Ar- 
cades in  the  Place  d'Armes :  the  view  is  that 
which  he  saw  from  his  own  windows.)  To 
the  left,  as  always,  is  the  angel  Gabriel,  with  the 
Annunciation  lily;  to  the  right  is  Our  Lady, 
reading.  The  Dove  descends  upon  her  head. 
The  ordinary  accessories  of  furniture  are  pres- 
ent —  prie-dieu,  curtain,  bed-chamber,  etc. 
Note  this  arrangement  of  the  personages  of  the 


1 74  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

Annunciation,  with  the  empty  space  between 
Our  Lady  and  the  angel :  it  will  recur  in  many 
other  pictures.  Observe  also  the  Flemish  real- 
ism of  the  painter,  who  places  the  scene  in  his 
own  town  at  his  own  period :  and  contrast 
it  with  the  mysticism  of  the  entire  conception. 

The  uppermost  tier  of  all  is  occupied  by 
figures  of  two  Sibyls  (universally  believed  in 
the  Middle  Ages  to  have  prophesied  of  Christ), 
as  well  as  two  half-length  figures  of  the 
prophets  Zachariah  and  Micah  (also  as  fore- 
tellers of  the  Virgin  birth). 

In  several  details  the  outer  shutters  in  this 
copy  differ  markedly  from  the  originals  at 
Berlin.  Jan's  picture  had,  below,  outer  panels 
(when  shut),  portraits  of  Josse  Vydts  and  his 
wife:  inner  panels,  imitated  statues  (in 
grisaille)  of  St.  John  the  Baptist  and  St.  John 
the  Evangelist,  patrons  at  that  time  of  this 
church.  If  you  are  going  on  to  Berlin,  you 
will  see  them :  if  back  to  London,  then  go  to 
the  Basement  Floor  of  the  National  Gallery, 
w^here  you  will  find  the  water-colour  copy  done 
for  the  Arundel  Society,  which  will  give  you 
an  excellent  idea  of  the  work  in  its  original 
condition. 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent       175 

A  few  words  must  be  given  to  the  external 
history  of  this  great  altar-piece.  It  was  begun 
by  Hubert  about  1420.  His  death  in  1426 
interrupted  the  work.  Jan  probably  continued 
to  paint  at  it  till  1428,  when  he  went  to  Portu- 
gal. On  his  return,  he  must  have  carried  it  to 
Bruges,  where  he  next  lived,  and  there  com- 
pleted it  in  1432.  It  was  then  placed  in  this 
the  family  chapel  of  Josse  Vydts.  During  the 
troubles  of  the  Reformation  it  was  carried  to 
the  H6tel-de-Ville,  but  after  the  capitulation  to 
the  Duke  of  Parma  it  was  restored  to  the 
chapel  of  the  Vydts  family.  Philip  II.  wished 
to  carry  it  ofT,  but  had  to  content  himself  with 
a  copy  by  Coxcie,  the  wings  of  which  are  now 
in  this  chapel.  The  panels  with  Adam  and 
Eve  were  removed  in  1784,  after  Joseph  II.  had 
disapproved  of  them,  and  hidden  in  the  sacristy. 
In  1794,  the  remaining  panels  were  carried  to 
Paris  :  after  the  peace,  they  were  returned,  but 
only  the  central  portions  were  replaced  in  the 
chapel.  The  wings,  save  Adam  and  Eve,  were 
sold  to  a  Brussels  dealer,  and  finally  bought 
by  the  King  of  Prussia,  which  accounts  for 
their  presence  at  Berlin.  As  for  Adam  and 
Eve,  the  church  exchanged  them  with  the  Brus- 


1 76  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

sels  Museum  for  the  wings  of  Coxcie's  copy. 
These  various  vicissitudes  will  explain  the 
existing  condition  of  the  compound  picture. 

Do  not  be  content  with  seeing  it  once.  Go 
home,  re-read  this  description,  and  come  again 
to  study  it  afresh  to-morrow. 

The  chapel  of  the  Holy  Sacrament,  in  the 
apse,  has  very  ugly  rococo  monuments  to 
bishops  of  the  eighteenth  century,  in  the  worst 
style  of  the  debased  Renaissance,  and  other 
monstrosities. 

The  tenth  chapel  has  a  famous  *  altar-piece 
by  Rubens,  St.  Bavon  renouncing  his  worldly 
goods  to  embrace  the  monastic  life.  The  Saint 
is  seen,  attired  as  a  Duke  of  Brabant  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  in  his  armour  and  ducal 
robes,  attended  by  his  pages,  making  his  pro- 
fession at  the  door  of  a  stately  Renaissance 
church,  such  as  certainly  did  not  exist  in  the 
North  in  his  time,  and  received  with  acclama- 
tion by  a  dignified  body  of  nobly-robed  ecclesi- 
astics, including  St.  Amand  (see  later,  under 
the  monastery  of  St.  Bavon).  The  features  of 
the  patron  saint  are  said  to  be  those  of  Rubens ; 
they  certainly  resemble  his  portrait  of  himself 
at  Florence.     The  foreground  is  occupied  by  a 


RUBENS.  —  CONVERSION  OF  ST.  BAVON. 


The  Cathedral  of  Ghent       177 

group  of  poor,  to  whom  St.  Bavon's  worldly 
goods  are  being  profusely  scattered.  On  the 
left  are  two  ladies,  in  somewhat  extrava- 
gant courtly  costumes,  who  are  apparently 
moved  to  follow  the  Saint's  example.  They  are 
said  to  be  the  painter's  two  wives,  but  the  re- 
semblance to  their  known  portraits  is  feeble. 
This  is  a  fine  specimen  of  Rubens's  grandiose 
and  princely  manner,  of  his  feeling  for  space, 
and  of  his  large  sense  of  colour;  but  it  is 
certainly  not  a  sacred  picture.  It  was  appro- 
priately painted  for  the  High  Altar  in  the 
Choir  (1624),  after  the  church  was  dedicated 
to  St.  Bavon  and  erected  into  a  cathedral,  but 
was  removed  from  that  place  of  honour  in  the 
eighteenth  century  to  make  room  for  a  vulgar 
abomination  by  Verbruggen.  (I  defer  con- 
sideration of  Rubens  and  his  school  till  we 
reach  Brussels  and  Antwerp.)  Fair  monument 
of  a  seventeenth  century  bishop. 

Descend  the  steps  again.  Enter  the  choir, 
a  very  fine  piece  of  architecture,  cleared  of  the 
monstrosities  of  the  last  century :  it  has  beauti- 
ful gray  stone  arches  (about  1300),  a  hand- 
some triforium,  and  excellent  brick  vaulting. 
The  lower  portion,  however,  is  still  disfigured 


178  Belgium;    Its   Cities 

by  black-and-white  marble  screens  and  several 
incongruous  rococo  tombs,  some  of  which  have 
individual  merit.  (That  to  the  left,  Bishop 
Triest  by  Duquesnoy,  is  excellent  in  its  own 
style) .  Over  the  High  Altar  flutters  a  peculiarly 
annoying  and  fly-away  seventeenth  century 
figure  of  the  Apotheosis  of  St.  Bavon,  the 
patron  saint  of  the  Cathedral,  who  of  course 
thus  occupies  the  place  of  honour.  It  is  by 
Verbruggen.  The  huge  copper  candlesticks, 
bearing  the  royal  arms  of  England,  as  used 
by  Charles  I.,  belonged  to  his  private  oratory 
in  Old  St.  Paul's  in  London,  and  were  sold  by 
order  of  Cromwell.  Impressive  view  down  the 
nave  from  this  point. 

Tip  the  sacristan  at  the  rate  of  one  franc  per 
head  of  your  party. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE   OUTSKIRTS   OF   GHENT 

OLD  Ghent  occupied  for  the  most  part  the 
island  which  extends  from  the  Palais  de 
Justice  on  one  side  to  the  Botanical  Gardens 
on  the  other.  This  island,  bounded  by  the 
Lys,  the  Schelde,  and  an  ancient  canal,  includes 
almost  all  the  principal  buildings  of  the  town, 
such  as  the  Cathedral,  St.  Nicolas,  the  Hotel- 
de-Ville,  the  Belfry,  and  St.  Jacques,  as  well 
as  the  chief  Places,  such  as  the  Marche  aux 
Grains,  the  Marche  aux  Herbes,  and  the 
Marche  du  Vendredi.  It  also  extended  beyond 
the  Lys  to  the  little  island  on  which  is  situated 
the  church  of  St.  Michel,  and  again  to  the 
islet  -formed  between  the  Lieve  and  the  Lys, 
which  contains  the  chateau  of  the  counts  and 
the  Place  Ste.  Pharailde. 

In  the  latter  Middle  Ages,  however,  the  town 
had  spread  to  nearly  its  existing  extreme  di- 
179 


1 80  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

mensions,  and  was  probably  more  populous 
than  at  the  present  moment.  But  its  ancient 
fortifications  have  been  destroyed,  and  their 
place  has  been  taken  by  boulevards  and  canals. 
The  line  may  still  be  traced  on  the  map,  or 
walked  round  through  a  series  of  shipping 
suburbs;  but  it  is  uninteresting  to  follow,  a 
great  part  of  its  course  lying  through  the  more 
squalid  portions  of  the  town.  The  only  re- 
maining gate  is  that  known  as  the  Rabot 
(1489),  a  very  interesting  and  picturesque 
object,  situated  in  a  particularly  slummy 
quarter.  It  can  best  be  reached  by  crossr- 
ing  the  bridge  near  the  church  of  St.  Michel, 
and  continuing  along  the  Rue  Haute  to  the 
Boulevard  du  Beguinage  (where  stood  origi- 
nally the  Grand  Beguinage,  whose  place  is  now 
occupied  by  modern  streets).  Turn  then 
along  the  boulevard  to  the  right  till  you  reach 
the  gate,  which  consists  of  two  curious  round 
towers,  enclosing  a  high  and  picturesque  gable- 
end.  Owing  to  the  unpleasant  nature  of  the 
walk,  I  do  not  recommend  this  excursion. 

The  south  quarter  of  the  town,  beyond  the 
Cathedral  and  St.  Nicolas,  has  been  much 
modernized  during  the  last  two  centuries.    Its 


The  Outskirts  of  Ghent       i8l 

only  interesting  points  are  the  recent  Palais  de 
Justice  and  the  Kouter  or  Place  d'Armes 
(once  the  archery  ground),  in  which  a  pretty 
flower-market  is  held  on  Friday  and  Sunday 
mornings.  The  Cafe  des  Arcades,  at  its  east 
end,  occupies  the  site  of  Hubert  van  Eyck's 
studio. 

The  rest  of  the  inner  town  contains  little  that 
throws  light  on  its  origin  or  history. 

There  is,  however,  one  small  excursion  which 
it  would  be  well  for  those  to  take  who  have 
a  morning  to  spare,  and  who  desire  to  under- 
stand the  development  of  Ghent  —  I  mean  to 
the  Monastery  of  St.  Bavon,  which  alone  re- 
calls the  first  age  of  the  city.  Every  early 
mediaeval  town  had  outside  its  walls  a  ring 
of  abbeys  and  monasteries,  and  Ghent  was  par- 
ticularly rich  in  this  respect. 

St.  Amand  was  the  apostle  of  Flanders  and 
the  surrounding  countries.  He  was  sent  by  the 
pious  King  Dagobert  to  convert  the  Flemings 
en  Hoc,  and  is  said  to  have  built,  about  630, 
a  little  cell  by  the  bank  of  the  Lys,  northeast 
of  the  modem  city.  In  65 1 ,  St.  Bavon  entered 
this  infant  monastery,  which  henceforth  took 
his  name.     The  abbey  grew  to  be  one  of  the 


1B2  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

most  important  in  Flanders,  and  occupied  a 
large  area  on  the  northeast  of  the  town,  near 
the  Antwerp  Gate.  Eginhard,  the  biographer 
and  son-in-law  of  Charlemagne,  was  abbot  in 
the  ninth  century.  The  Counts  of  Flanders  had 
rights  of  hospitality  at  St.  Bavon's;  hence 
it  was  here,  and  not  in  the  Oudeburg,  as  usually 
stated,  that  Queen  Philippa  gave  birth  to  John 
of  Gaunt.  In  1539,  however,  Charles  V.,  that 
headstrong  despot, '  angry  at  the  continual  re- 
sistance of  his  native  town  to  his  arbitrary 
wishes,  dissolved  the  monastery  in  the  high- 
handed fashion  of  the  sixteenth  century,  in 
order  to  build  a  citadel  on  the  spot.  As  com- 
pensation for  disturbance  to  the  injured  saint, 
he  transported  the  relics  of  St.  Bavon  to  what 
was  then  the  parish  church  of  St.  John,  which 
has  ever  since  borne  the  name  of  the  local 
patron.  Around  the  dismantled  ruins,  the 
Emperor  erected  a  great  fort,  afterward 
known  as  the  Spaniards'  Castle  (Chateau  des 
Espagnols,  or  Het  Spanjaards  Kasteel).  This 
gigantic  citadel  occupied  a  vast  square  space, 
still  traceable  in  the  shape  of  the  modern 
streets;  but  no  other  relic  of  it  now  remains. 
The  ruins  of  the  abbey  are  in  themselves  in- 


RUINS  OF  THE  ABBEY  OF  ST.  BAVON,  GHENT. 


The  Outskirts  of  Ghent       183 

considerable,  but  they  are  certainly  picturesque 
and  well  worth  a  visit  from  those  who  are 
spending  some  days  in  Ghent.  The  hurried 
tourist  may  safely  neglect  them. 

The  direct  route  from  the  Place  d'Armes 
to  the  abbey  is  by  the  Quai  du  Bas  Escaut, 
and  the  Rue  Van  Eyck.  A  pleasanter  route, 
however,  is  by  the  Rue  de  Brabant  and  the  Rue 
Digue  de  Brabant  to  the  Place  d'Artevelde, 
passing  through  the  handsomest  part  of  the 
modern  town.  (In  the  Place  itself  stands  the 
fine  modern  Romanesque  Church  of  St.  Anne, 
the  interior  of  which  is  sumptuously  decorated 
in  imitation  of  mosaic.)  ThencCj  follow  the 
Quai  Porte  aux  Vaches  to  the  Place  Van  Eyck, 
Cross  the  bridges  over  the  Upper  and  Lower 
Schelde,  and  the  abbey  lies  straight  in  front 
of  you. 

Walk  past  the  ivy-clad  outer  wall  of  the 
ruins  to  the  white  house  at  the  corner  of  the 
street  beyond  it,  where  you  will  find  the  con- 
cierge (notice  above  the  door).  One  franc 
is  sufficient  tip  for  a  party.  The  concierge 
conducts  you  over  the  building,  which  has  a 
picturesque  cloister,  partly  Romanesque,  but 
mainly  fifteenth  century.     The  centre  of  th^ 


184  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

quadrangle  is  occupied  by  a  pretty  and  neatly- 
kept  garden  of  the  old  sweet-scented  peasant 
flowers  of  Flanders.  The  most  interesting  part 
of  the  ruins,  however,  is  the  octagonal  Roman- 
esque baptistery  or  "  Chapel  of  St.  Macaire,'" 
a  fine  piece  of  early  vaulting,  with  round  arches, 
very  Byzantine  in  aspect.  The  chapel  rests 
on  massive  piers,  and  its  Romanesque  arches 
contrast  prettily  with  the  transitional  Gothic 
work  of  the  cloister  in  the  neighbourhood. 
Within  are  several  fragments  of  Romanesque 
sculpture,  particularly  some  *  capitals  of  col- 
umns, with  grotesque  and  naive  representations 
of  Adam  and  Eve  with  the  Lord  in  the  Garden, 
and  other  similar  biblical  subjects.  (Examine 
closely.)  There  is  likewise  an  interesting  re- 
lief of  St.  Amand  preaching  the  Gospel  in 
Flanders,  and  a  man-at-arms  in  stone,  of  Arte- 
velde's  period,  removed  from  the  old  coping 
of  the  belfry. 

We  next  go  on  to  the  crypt,  the  tombs  of  the 
monks,  the  monastery  cellars,  etc.,  where  are 
collected  many  pieces  of  ancient  sculpture,  some 
found  in  the  ruins  and  others  brought  from 
elsewhere.  The  refectory  at  the  end,  which 
for  some  time  served  as  the  Church  of  St. 


The  Outskirts  of  Ghent       185 

Macaire,  is  now  in  course  of  transformation 
into  a  local  Museum  of  Monumental  Art.  It 
contains  some  good  old  tombs,  and  an  early 
fresco  (of  St.  Louis?)  almost  obliterated.  But 
the  garden  and  cloister  are  the  best  of  the 
place,  and  make  together  a  very  pretty  picture. 
You  can  return  by  the  Quai  and  the  Rue  St. 
Georges,  or  by  the  Place  St.  Bavon  and  the 
Arch i episcopal  Palace.  (The  castellated  build- 
ing to  the  left,  much  restored,  near  the  cathe- 
dral, known  as  the  Steen  of  Gerard  le  Diable, 
is  the  sole  remaining  example  of  the  mediaeval 
fortified  houses  in  Ghent.) 

Another  monastery,  a  visit  to  which  will 
lead  you  through  the  extensive  southern  por- 
tion of  the  city,  is  the  wholly  modernized  Bene- 
dictine Abbey  of  St.  Pierre  (I  do  not  recom- 
mend it) .  To  reach  it,  you  take  the  Rue  Courte 
du  Jour  and  the  Rue  Neuve  St.  Pierre,  to  the 
large  square  known  as  the  Plaine  St.  Pierre, 
partly  obtained  by  demolition  of  the  monastery 
buildings.  It  is  situated  on  rising  ground, 
which  may  pass  for  a  hill  in  Flanders.  This 
is,  in  its  origin,  the  oldest  monastery  in  Ghent, 
having  been  founded,  according  to  tradition, 
by  St.  Amand  himself,  in  630,  on  the  site  of 


1 86  Belgium:  Its   Cities 

an  ancient  temple  of  Mercury,  The  existing 
buildings,  however,  hardly  date  in  any  part 
beyond  the  seventeenth  century.  The  Church 
of  Notre-Dame  de  St.  Pierre  was  erected  be- 
tween 1629  and  1720,  in  the  grandiose  style 
of  the  period.  It  is  vast,  and  not  unimposing. 
The  interior  has  a  certain  cold  dignity.  The 
pictures  are  mostly  of  the  School  of  Rubens, 
many  of  them  dealing  with  St.  Peter  and  St. 
Benedict;  among  them  are  good  specimens. 
The  best,  by  De  Crayer,  shows  the  favourite 
Benedictine  subject  of  St.  Benedict  recogniz- 
ing the  envoy  of  King  Totila,  who  personated 
the  king. 

The  Plaine  de  St.  Pierre  is  used  for  the 
amusing  yearly  fair,  from  Mi-Careme  to 
Easter. 

The  Museum  of  Painting  (a  small  and  un- 
important gallery)  is  situated  in  part  of  an 
old  Augustinian  monastery,  which  is  reached 
by  the  Oudeburg  and  the  Rue  Ste.  Marguerite. 
(Church  by  the  side,  full  of  Augustinian  sym- 
bols.) Open  daily  from  nine  to  twelve,  and 
two  to  five,  free.  (I  do  not  advise  a  visit, 
unless  you  have  plenty  of  time  to  spare.)  The 
Picture  Gallery  is  on  the  second  floor. 


The  Outskirts  of  Ghent       187 

The  rooms  to  the  left  contain  modem  Bel- 
gian and  French  pictures,  many  of  them  pos- 
sessing- considerable  merit,  but  not  of  a  sort 
which  enters  into  the  scheme  of  these  Guide- 
books. 

The  rooms  to  the  right  of  the  staircase  con- 
tain the  early  pictures. 

First  room.  F.  Pourbus :  A  votive  triptych 
for  recovery  from  sickness.  In  the  centre, 
Isaiah  prophesying  to  Hezekiah  his  recovery. 
On  the  wings,  the  Crucifixion,  and  the  donor 
with  his  patron,  St.  James.  Outside  the  wings, 
in  grisaille,  the  Raising  of  Lazarus  (in  two 
panels),  giving  a  symbolical  meaning  to  this 
votive  ofifering.  On  the  wall  beside  it,  several 
tolerable  pictures  of  the  old  Flemish  School : 
a  good  Ex  Voto  of  a  donor,  with  the  Madonna 
and  Child,  by  an  unknown  artist;  a  writhing 
Calvary,  by  Van  Heemskerk;  a  Holy  Family, 
by  De  Vos ;  and  a  quaint  triptych  of  St.  Anne 
and  her  family,  with  her  daughter,  the  Ma- 
donna, and  her  grandchild,  the  Saviour,  at  her 
feet.  Around  are  grouped  Joseph,  Mary 
Cleophas,  Zebedee,  Alpheus,  Joachim,  the  hus- 
band of  Anna,  and  Mary  Salome,  with  her 
children,  James  and  John.     This  queer  old 


1 88  Belgium:   Its    Cities 

work,  by  an  unknown  artist^  is  interesting  for 
comparison  with  the  great  Quentin  Matsys, 
which  you  will  see  at  Brussels.  St.  Joseph 
holds  in  his  hand  the  rod  that  has  flowered. 
(See  "Legends  of  the  Madonna.") 

Beneath  this  triptych  are  three  interesting 
portrait  groups  of  husbands  and  wives,  six- 
teenth century.  On  the  wings,  a  "  Noli  Me 
Tangere  "  —  Christ  and  the  Magdalen  in  the 
garden. 

The  second  room  has  Dutch  and  Flemish 
works  of  the  seventeenth  century,  mostly  self- 
explanatory.  The  Last  Judgment,  by  R. 
Coxcie,  shows  a  late  stage  of  a  subject  which 
we  have  already  seen  at  Bruges,  now  reduced 
to  an  opportunity  for  the  display  of  exag- 
gerated anatomical  knowledge.  There  are 
also  several  tolerable  works  of  the  School  of 
Rubens,  many  of  which  are  interesting  mainly 
as  showing  the  superiority  of  the  Master  to 
all  his  followers.  Rombouts,  The  Five  Senses, 
is,  however,  an  excellent  work  of  its  own  class. 
The  centre  of  the  further  wall  is  occupied  by 
a  worthless  picture  of  Duchastel's,  represent- 
ing the  Inauguration  of  Charles  IL  of  Spain 
as   Count  of  Flanders,   in    1666,   interesting 


The  Outskirts  of  Ghent       189 

mainly  as  a  view  of  old  Ghent.  The  action 
takes  place  in  the  Marche  du  Vendredi,  the 
centre  of  which  is  occupied  by  the  statue  of 
Charles  V.,  destroyed  at  the  French  Revolu- 
tion. All  round  are  the  original  picturesque 
houses,  with  their  high  Flemish  gable-ends. 
On  the  right  is  the  Church  of  St.  Jacques, 
much  as  at  the  present  day.  In  front  of  the 
Municipal  Council  Chamber  a  platform  is 
erected  for  the  inauguration.  The  picture 
gives  a  good  idea  of  the  splendour  of  Ghent, 
even  at  the  period  of  the  Spanish  domination. 
Near  it,  Rubens's  St.  Francis  receiving  the 
Stigmata,  where  the  conventional  elements  ot 
the  crucified  six-winged  seraph,  the  rays  pro- 
ceeding from  the  five  wounds  to  the  saint's 
hands,  feet,  and  side,  and  the  astonished 
brother,  Leo,  in  the  distance,  are  all  preserved, 
though  enormously  transfigured.  The  colour 
is  unpleasing.  This  is  almost  a  replica  of  the 
work  in  the  Cologne  Museum.  Rombouts  — 
tolerable  Holy  Family.  Close  by,  some  of 
Hondekoeter's  favourite  birds,  and  Zeghers's 
flowers.  Over  the  door,  a  fine  De  Crayer.  In 
the  centre  of  the  room  is  a  series  of  pictures 
from  the  Gospel  History,  by  F.  Pourbus,  with 


190  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

the  Last  Supper  and  donor  at  the  back  of  one, 
formerly  a  triptych. 

The  third  room  has  pictures  of  the  School 
of  Rubens,  many  of  them  of  considerable  merit, 
particularly  De  Crayer's  Coronation  of  St. 
Rosalie  and  Vision  of  St.  Augustine,  in  both 
of  which  he  approaches  within  a  measurable 
distance  of  the  great  master.  His  Judgment 
of  Solomon  is  also  excellent.  Some  other 
pictures  in  the  room,  however,  exhibit  the 
theatrical  tendency  of  the  seventeenth  century 
in  its  worst  form. 

On  the  way  back  from  the  Picture  Gallery, 
you  pass  on  your  left  the  Rue  Longue  des 
Pierres,  down  which,  a  little  way  on  the  right, 
is  a  small  museum  of  antiquities.  I  do  not 
advise  a  visit  to  this.  It  contains  one  good 
brass,  and  some  silver  badges  worn,  by  ambas- 
sadors of  Ghent,  but  otherwise  consists,  for 
the  most  part,  of  third-rate  bric-a-brac. 

Most  visitors  to  Ghent  go  to  see  the  Grand 
Beguinage.  This  was  originally  situated  in 
a  little  district  by  itself,  close  to  the  gate  of 
the  Rabot,  where  its  church,  uninteresting 
(dedicated,  like  that  of  Bruges,  to  St.  Eliza- 
beth of  Hungary),  still  stands;    but  the  site 


The  Outskirts  of  Ghent       191 

has  been  occupied  by  the  town  for  new  streets. 
The  present  Grand  Beguinage  lies  on  the  road 
to  Antwerp.  It  is  a  Httle  town  in  miniature, 
enclosed  by  wall  and  moat,  with  streets  and 
houses  all  very  neat  and  clean,  but  of  no 
archaeological  interest.  Yet  it  forms  a  pleasant 
enough  end  for  a  short  drive.  And  you  can 
buy  lace  there.  The  description  in  Baedeker 
is  amply  sufficient. 

Bruges  is  full  of  memories  of  the  Burgun- 
dian  princes.  At  Ghent  it  is  the  personality 
of  Charles  V.,  the  great  Emperor  who  cumu- 
lated in  his  own  person  the  sovereignties  of 
Germany,  the  Low  Countries,  Spain  and  Bur- 
gundy, that  meets  us  afresh  at  every  turn. 
He  was  born  here  in  1500,  and  baptized  in 
a  font  (otherwise  uninteresting)  which  still 
stands  in  the  north  transept  of  the  Cathedral. 
Ghent  was  really,  for  the  greater  part  of  his 
life,  his  practical  capital,  and  he  never  ceased 
to  be  at  heart  a  Ghenter.  That  did  not  prevent 
the  citizens  from  justly  rebelling  against  him 
in  1540,  after  the  suppression  of  which  revolt 
Charles  is  said  to  have  ascended  the  Cathedral 
tower,  while  the  executioner  was  putting  to 
death  the  ringleaders  in  the  rebellion,  in  order 


192  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

to  choose  with  his  Brother  Ferdinand  the  site 
for  the  citadel  he  intended  to  erect,  to  over- 
awe the  freedom-loving  city.  He  chose  the 
Monastery  of  St.  Bavon  as  its  site,  and,  as 
we  have  seen^  built  there  his  colossal  fortress, 
now  wholly  demolished.  The  Palace  in  which 
he  was  born  and  which  he  inhabited  frequently 
during  life,  was  known  as  the  Cour  du  Prince. 
It  stood  near  the  Ancien  Grand  Beguinage, 
but  only  its  name  now  survives  in  that  of  a 
street. 

The  Spaniard's  Castle  was  long  the  standing 
menace  to  freedom  in  the  Low  Countries. 
Within  its  precincts  Egmont  and  Hoorn  were 
imprisoned  in  1568  for  several  months  before 
their  execution. 

During  the  early  Middle  Ages,  the  Oude- 
burg  was  the  residence  of  the  Counts  of  Flan- 
ders in  Ghent.  Later  on,  its  place  as  a  royal 
residence  was  taken  by  the  Cour  du  Prince, 
which  was  inhabited  by  Maximilian  and  his 
wife,  Mary  of  Burgundy,  as  well  as  by  Phi- 
lippe le  Beau  and  Johanna  of  Spain,  the  par- 
ents of  Charles  V.  No  direct  memorials  of 
the  great  Emperor  now  exist  in  Ghent,  but 
mementoes  of  him  crop  up  at  every  point  in 
the  city. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

ORIGINS   OF   BRUSSELS 

"DRUSSELS  was  in  a  certain  sense  the 
^-^  ancient  capital  of  Brabant,  as  Bruges  and 
Ghent  were  the  ancient  capitals  of  West  and 
East  Flanders.  It  grew  up  (as  early  as  the 
eighth  century)  on  the  banks  of  the  little 
river  Senne,  whose  course  through  its  midst 
is  now  masked  by  the  modern  Inner  Boule- 
vards, built  on  arches  above  the  unseen  stream. 
The  Senne  is  one  of  the  numerous  rivers  which 
flow  into  the  Schelde,  and  the  original  town 
clustered  close  round  its  banks,  its  centre  being 
marked  by  the  Grand'  Place  and  the  church  of 
St.  Nicolas.  Unlike  Bruges  and  Ghent,  how- 
ever, Brussels  has  always  been  rather  an  ad- 
193 


194  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

ministrative  than  a  commercial  centre.  It  is 
true,  it  had  considerable  trade  in  the  Middle 
Ages,  as  its  fine  H6tel-de-Ville  and  Guild 
Houses  still  attest ;  but  it  seems  to  have  sprung 
up  round  a  villa  of  the  Prankish  kings,  and 
it  owed  at  least  as  much  to  its  later  feudal 
lords,  the  Counts  of  Louvain,  afterward 
Dukes  of  Brabant,  and  to  their  Burgimdian 
successors,  as  to  its  mercantile  position. 

The  Senne  was  never  a  very  important  river 
for  navigation,  though,  like  most  of  the  Bel- 
gian waterways,  it  was  ascended  by  light  craft, 
while  a  canal  connected  the  town  with  the 
Schelde  and  Antwerp :  but  the  situation  of 
Brussels  on  the  great  inland  trade  route  be- 
tween Bruges  or  Ghent  and  Cologne  gave  it 
a  certain  mercantile  value.  Bruges,  Ghent, 
Brussels,  Louvain,  Maastricht,  and  Aix-la- 
Chapelle  all  formed  stations  on  this  important 
route,  and  all  owed  to  it  a  portion  of  their 
commercial  prestige. 

The  burgher  town  which  was  thus  engaged 
in  trade  and  manufactures  was  Flemish  in 
speech  and  feeling,  and  lay  in  the  hollow  by 
the  river  and  the  Grand'  Place.  But  a  lordly 
suburb  began  to  arise  at  an  early  date  on  the 


Origins  of  Brussels  195 

hill  to  eastward,  where  the  Counts  of  Louvain 
built  themselves  a  mansion,  surrounded  by 
those  of  the  lesser  nobility.  After  1380,  the 
counts  migrated  here  from  too  democratic 
Louvain.  Later  on,  in  the  fifteenth  century, 
the  Dukes  of  Burgxmdy  (who  united  the 
sovereignty  of  Brabant  with  that  of  Flanders) 
often  held  their  court  here,  as  the  population 
was  less  turbulent  and  less  set  upon  freedom 
than  that  of  purely  commercial  and  industrial 
Bruges  and  Ghent.  Thus  the  distinctive  posi- 
tion of  Brussels  as  the  aristocratic  centre  and 
the  seat  of  the  court  grew  fixed.  Again,  the 
Dukes  of  Burgundy  were  French  in  speech, 
and  surrounded  themselves  with  French 
knights  and  courtiers;  to  suit  the  sovereigns, 
the  local  nobility  also  acquired  the  habit  of 
speaking  French,  which  has  gradually  become 
the  language  of  one-half  of  Belgium.  But 
the  people  of  the  Old  Town  in  the  valley  were, 
and  are  still,  largely  Flemish  in  tongue,  in 
customs,  in  sympathies,  and  in  aspect;  while 
the  Inhabitants  of  the  Montagne  de  la  Cour 
and  the  court  quarter  generally  are  French 
in  speech,  in  taste,  and  in  manners.  We  will 
trace   in   the   sequel   the   gradual   growth   of 


196  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

Brussels  from  its  nucleus  by  the  river  (the 
Lower  Town),  up  the  side  of  the  eastern  hill 
to  the  Palace  district  (the  Upper  Town),  and 
thence  through  the  new  Quartier  Leopold  and 
the  surrounding  region  to  its  modern  exten- 
sion far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  mediaeval 
ramparts. 

Choose  an  hotel  in  the  airy  and  wholesome 
Upper  Town,  as  near  as  possible  to  the  Park 
or  the  Place  Royale. 

St.  Michael  the  Archangel  is  the  patron 
saint  of  Brussels :  he  will  meet  you  everywhere, 
even  on  the  lamp-posts.  For  the  patroness,  St. 
Gudula,  see  under  the  Cathedral. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE     HEART     OF     BRUSSELS 

THE  nucleus  of  BrusselSj  as  of  Paris,  was 
formed  by  an  island,  now  no  longer 
existing.  Round  this  islet  ran  two  branches 
of  the  little  river  Senne,  at  present  obliterated 
by  the  Inner  Boulevards.  Brussels,  in  short, 
has  denied  its  parentage;  the  Senne,  which 
is  visible  north  and  south  of  the  Outer  Boule- 
vards, being  covered  over  by  arches  within  the 
whole  of  the  Inner  City. 

The  centre  of  the  island  is  marked  by  the 
little  Place  St.  Gery,  which  the  reader  need 
not  trouble  to  visit.  Here,  at  the  end  of  the 
sixth  century,  St.  Gery,  Bishop  of  Cambrai 
and  apostle  of  Brabant,  built  a  small  chapel, 
succeeded  by  a  church,  now  demolished.  The 
true  centre  of  Brussels,  however,  may  be  con- 
veniently taken  as  the  existing  Bourse.  Close 
by,  as  the  town  grew,  the  Grand'  Place  or 
197 


198  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

market-place  was  surrounded  by  noble  mediae- 
val and  Renaissance  buildings.  To  this  centre 
then,  the  real  heart  of  Brussels  in  the  Middle 
Ages,  we  first  direct  ourselves. 

Gro  from  your  hotel  to  the  Grand'  Place.  It 
may  be  reached  by  either  of  two  convenient 
roads;  from  the  Place  Royale  by  the  Mon- 
tagne  de  la  Cour  and  the  Rue  de  la  Madeleine, 
or  from  the  Park  by  the  Montague  du  Pare 
(which  takes  various  names  as  it  descends), 
and  the  Galerie  St.  Hubert.  Either  route 
brings  you  out  at  the  end  of  the  Galerie,  whence 
a  short  street  to  the  left  will  land  you  at  once 
in  the  Grand'  Place,  undoubtedly  the  finest 
square  in  Europe,  and  the  only  one  which  now 
enables  us  to  reconstruct  in  imagination  the 
other  Grand's  Places  of  Belgium  and  the 
Rhine  country. 

The  most  conspicuous  building  in  the  Place, 
with  the  tall  tower  and  open  spire,  is  the 
H6tel-de-Ville,  with  one  possible  exception 
(Louvain)  the  handsomest  in  Belgium.  It 
consists  of  a  tapering  central  tower,  flanked 
by  two  wings,  their  high-pitched  roof  covered 
with  projecting  windows.  The  ground  flooi* 
is  arcaded.     The  first  and  second  floors  have 


The  Heart  of  Brussels  199 

Gothic  windows,  altered  into  square  frames  in 
a  portion  of  the  building.  The  edifice  is  of 
different  dates.  The  original  H6tel-de-Ville 
consisted  only  of  the  wing  to  your  left,  as  you 
face  it,  erected  in  1402.  The  right  wing, 
shorter  in  fagade,  and  architecturally  somewhat 
different,  was  added  in  1443.  The  style  of  the 
whole,  save  where  altered,  is  Middle  Gothic 
("Decorated").  The  beautiful  open  spire 
should  be  specially  noticed.  On  its  summit 
stands  a  colossal  gilt  metal  figure  (1454)  of 
the  Archangel  Michael^  patron  of  the  city. 
The  statues  in  the  niches  are  modern,  and  not 
quite  in  keeping  with  the  character  of  the  build- 
ing. Observe,  over  the  main  portal,  St. 
Michael,  patron  saint  of  the  town,  with  St. 
Sebastian,  St.  Christopher,  St.  George,  and 
St.  Gery.  Below  are  the  Cardinal  Virtues. 
The  figures  above  are  Dukes  of  Brabant. 
Inspect  the  whole  fagade  carefully.  You  will 
hardly  find  a  nobler  piece  of  civic  architecture 
in  Europe.  The  carved  wooden  door  has  also 
a  figure  of  St.  Michael.  The  gargoyles  and 
the  bosses  near  the  staircase  entrance  to  the 
left  are  likewise  interesting. 

Now,  go  round  the  corners  to  the  left  and 


200  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

right,  to  inspect  the  equally  fine  fagades,  facing 
the  Rues  de  rH6tel-de-Ville  and  de  la  Tete- 
d'Or.  The  back  of  the  building  is  eighteenth 
century  and  uninteresting.  You  may  also  pass 
rapidly  through  the  courtyard,  which,  however, 
has  very  little  character.  But  you  need  not 
trouble  to  inspect  the  interior,  unless  you  are 
an  abandoned  sightseer. 

The  other  important  and  beautiful  building 
which  faces  the  H6tel-de-Ville  "is  the  Maison 
du  Roi,  formerly  used  as  the  Halle  au  Pain 
or  Broodhuis.  It  is  of  late  florid  Gothic, 
verging  toward  Renaissance  (1514,  re- 
stored), and  is  in  three  storeys,  two  of  them 
arcaded.  The  first  floor  has  an  open  gallery, 
like  the  loggia  of  a  Venetian  palace,  whence 
ladies  could  view  processions  and  ceremonies 
in  the  square  below.  The  building  terminates 
in  a  high  roof,  with  projecting  windows,  and 
a  handsome  open  tower  and  lantern.  The 
whole  has  been  recently  rebuilt  and  profusely 
gilded.  Within,  is  a  small  Communal  Museum 
(open  free  daily,  from  ten  to  four).  Come 
again  often  to  view  these  two  noble  halls. 

The  third  principal  building  (on  the  east 
side  of  the   Square)    known   as   the  Maison 


The  Heart  of  Brussels  201 

des  Dues  was  the  Public  Weighing  House, 
constructed  in  a  debased  Renaissance  style, 
and  also  profusely  gilded.  It  bears  the  date 
1698,  but  is  now  unworthily  occupied  by  sale 
rooms  and  shops. 

The  whole  of  the  remaining  space  in  this 
glorious  square  is  surrounded  by  magnificent 
Guild  Halls  of  the  various  corporations. 

Beginning  on  the  south  side  (that  occupied 
by  the  H6tel-de-Ville) ,  we  have,  first,  left, 
two  high-gabled  houses  of  good  seventeenth- 
century  domestic  architecture.  Next  to  them, 
on  the  right,  comes  the  Hotel  des  Brasseurs, 
dated  1752,  and  lately  surmounted  by  a  bronze 
equestrian  statue  of  Charles  of  Lorraine.  This 
was  originally  the  Guild  Hall  of  the  Brewers. 
After  that,  again,  rises  the  house  known  as 
"  The  Swan,"  belonging  to  the  Corporation 
of  Butchers.  The  small  building  at  the  corner, 
next  the  H6tel-de-Ville,  with  an  open  loggia, 
now  in  course  of  restoration,  is  known  as  the 
Maison  de  I'Etoile :  a  gilt  star  surmounts  its 
gable. 

The  finest  group  of  houses,  however,  is  that 
to  the  west  side  of  the  square  (right  of  the 
H6tel-de-Ville),  unoccupied  by  any  one  prom- 


202  Belgium  :  Its  Cities 

inent  building.  Beginning'  on  the  left,  we 
have,  first,  the  house  known  as  "  The  Fox  " 
(Le  Renard),  dated  1699:  it  is  surmounted 
by  a  figure  of  St.  Nicholas  resuscitating  the 
three  boys,  and  is  adorned  with  statues  of 
Justice  and  the  Four  Continents  on  its  first 
floor.  Then  comes  the  Guild  Hall  of  the 
Skippers,  or  Maison  des  Bateliers,  its  gable 
constructed  somewhat  like  the  poop  of  a  ship, 
with  four  projecting  cannon.  The  symbolism 
here  is  all  marine  —  sailors  above;  then  Nep- 
tune and  his  horses,  etc.  To  the  right  of 
this,  we  see  the  house  known  as  "  La  Louve," 
bearing  as  a  sign  Romulus  and  Remus  with 
the  wolf.  This  was  originally  the  Guild  Hall 
of  the  Archers.  It  shows  an  inscription  stating 
that  it  was  restored,  after  being  burnt  down, 
by  the  Confraternity  of  St.  Sebastian  (patron 
of  archers).  Its  relief  of  the  Saint  with  a  bow 
is  appropriate.  The  two  remaining  houses  are 
"  La  Brouette,"  dated  1697,  and  "  Le  Sac," 
bearing  on  its  gable  a  medallion  with  three 
faces. 

The  houses  on  the  north  side  (that  occupied 
by  the  Maison  du  Roi),  are  less  interesting, 
except  those  on  the  extreme  right.     Next  to 


The  Heart  of  Brussels         203 

the  Maison  du  Roi  itself  come  two  pretty  little 
decorated  houses,  beyond  which  is  the  Guild 
Hall  of  the  Painters,  known  as  "  The  Pigeon," 
and  that  called  "  La  Taupe,"  the  Hall  of  the 
Tailors.  The  two  last  at  the  corner  of  the 
street  are  now  in  course  of  restoration. 
Several  other  fine  houses  of  the  same  period 
close  the  vista  of  the  streets  round  the  corner. 

This  imposing  group  of  Guild  Halls  dates, 
however,  only  from  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  mostly  about  1697.  The  reason  is 
that  in  1695  ^^e  greater  part  of  the  Grand' 
Place  was  destroyed  by  Marshal  de  Villeroi 
during  the  siege.  Two  years  later,  the  Guild 
Houses  were  rebuilt  in  the  ornate  and  some- 
what debased  style  of  the  Louis  XIV.  period. 
Fortunately,  the  two  great  mediaeval  buildings, 
which  stood  almost  isolated,  did  not  share  the 
general  destruction. 

Continue  your  stroll  through  the  Lower 
Town. 

From  the  Grand'  Place,  take  the  Rue  au 
Beurre,  which  leads  east  toward  the  Bourse. 
On  your  right  you  will  pass  the  now  uninter- 
esting and  entirely  modernized  Church  of  St. 
Nicolas.     In  its  origin,  however,  this  is  one 


204  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

of  the  oldest  churches  in  Brussels,  and  though 
it  has  long  lost  almost  every  mark  of  antiquity, 
it  is  instructive  to  recognize  here  again  (as 
at  Ghent)  the  democratic  patron  saint  of  the 
merchants  and  burgesses  in  close  proximity 
to  their  Town  Hall  and  their  Guild  Houses. 
The  Bourse  itself,  which  faces  you,  is  a  hand- 
some and  imposing  modern  building.  Go 
past  its  side  till  you  reach  the  line  of  the 
Inner  Boulevards,  which  lead  north  and  south 
between  the  Gare  du  Nord  and  the  Gare  du 
Midi. 

This  superb  line  of  streets,  one  of  the  finest 
set  of  modern  boulevards  in  Europe,  has  been 
driven  straight  through  the  heart  of  the  Old 
Town,  and  the  authorities  offered  large 
money  prizes  for  the  best  fagades  erected  along 
the  route.  Content  yourself  for  the  moment 
with  a  glance  up  and  down,  to  observe  the 
general  effect,  and  then  continue  on  to  your 
left  along  the  Boulevard,  where  the  first  street 
on  the  right  will  lead  you  to  the  little  Place 
St.  Gery,  now  occupied  by  a  market,  but  origi- 
nally the  centre  of  Old  Brussels.  A  stroll 
through  the  neighbouring  streets  is  interesting, 
past   the   Halles   Centrales,   and   the  modem 


The  Heart  of  Brussels  205 

Church  of  St.  Catherine,  close  by  which  stands 
the  old  Tower  of  St.  Catherine,  built  into  a 
modern  block  of  houses.  A  little  further  on 
is  the  picturesque  Tour  Noire,  the  only  re- 
maining relic  of  the  first  fortifications  of  the 
city.  You  may  prolong  this  walk  to  the  Place 
du  Beguinage,  with  a  tolerable  church.  The 
quarter  has  no  special  interest,  but  it  will  serve 
to  give  you  a  passing  idea  of  the  primitive 
nucleus  of  mediaeval  Brussels. 

I  will  interpolate  here  a  few  remarks  about 
the  more  modern  portion  of  the  Old  Town. 
The  best  way  to  see  it  is  to  take  the  tram 
along  the  Inner  Boulevards  from  the  Gare 
du  Midi  to  the  Gare  du  Nord.  You  will  then 
pass,  first,  the  Outer  Boulevards  (see  later)  : 
next,  right,  the  Palais  du  Midi ;  left,  the  Place 
d'Anneessens,  with  a  statue  of  Anneessens, 
the  intrepid  and  public-spirited  magistrate  of 
Brussels  who  was  put  to  death  in  1719  for 
venturing  to  defend  the  privileges  of  the  city 
against  the  Austrian  authorities.  Just  oppo- 
site this,  you  get  a  glimpse,  to  the  right,  of 
the  Place  Rouppe,  to  be  noticed  later.  Pass- 
ing the  Place  Fontainas,  where  many  streets 
radiate,    you    arrive   at    the    Bourse,    already 


2o6  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

noticed.  The  handsome  corner  building  (with 
dome)  in  front  of  you,  which  forms  so  con- 
spicuous an  element  in  the  prospect  as  you 
approach,  is  the  Hotel  Continental.  Just  in 
front  of  it  expands  a  small  new  square  (Place 
de  Brouckere)  still  unfinished,  on  which  a 
monument  is  now  being  erected  to  a  late  burgo- 
master (De  Brouckere).  At  this  point,  the 
Boulevard  divides,  the  western  branch  follow- 
ing the  course  of  the  Senne  (which  emerges 
to  light  just  beyond  the  Outer  Boulevards), 
while  the  eastern  branch  goes  straight  on  to 
the  Gare  du  Nord,  passing  at  the  first  corner 
a  handsome  narrow  house  with  gilt  summit, 
which  won  the  first  prize  in  the  competition 
instituted  by  the  Municipality  for  the  best 
fagades  on  the  new  line  of  streets. 

After  reaching  the  Gare  du  Nord,  you  can 
return  to  the  Gare  du  Midi  by  an  alternative 
line  of  main  streets,  which  also  cuts  through 
the  heart  of  the  Old  Town,  a  little  to  the  east 
of  the  Inner  Boulevards.  It  begins  with  the 
Rue  Neuve,  where  a  short  street  to  the  left 
conducts  you  straight  to  the  Place  des  Martyrs, 
a  white  and  somewhat  desolate  square  of  the 
eighteenth  century  (1775),  adorned  later  with 


The  Heart  of  Brussels         207 

a  Monument  to  the  Belgians  who  were  killed 
during  the  War  of  Independence  in  1830. 
Shortly  after  this  (continuing  the  main  line) 
you  pass  two  covered  galleries,  and  then  arrive 
at  the  Place  de  la  Monnaie.  On  your  right 
is  the  handsome  building  of  the  new  Post 
Office;  on  your  left,  the  white  Ionic-pillared 
Grand  Theatre  or  Theatre  de  la  Monnaie. 
You  then  pass  between  St.  Nicolas  on  the 
left,  and  the  Bourse  on  the  right,  and  continue 
on  to  the  Place  Rouppe  (ornamented  with  a 
fountain  and  a  statue  of  Brussels  personified)  : 
whence  the  Avenue  du  Midi  leads  you  straight 
to  the  Place  de  la  Constitution,  in  front  of  the 
South  Station. 

The  remainder  of  the  western  half  of  the 
town  is,  for  the  most  part,  poor  and  devoid 
of  interest,  though  it  contains  the  principal 
markets,  hospitals,  and  barracks,  as  well  as  the 
basins  for  the  canals  which  have  superseded 
the  Senne. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE      BRUSSELS       PICTURE      GALLERY!        HALL 
OF    THE    OLD     MASTERS 

I  INTERPOLATE  here  the  account  of  the 
Brussels  Picture  Gallery,  because  it  is  the 
most  important  object  to  be  seen  in  the  town, 
after  the  Grand'  Place  and  its  neighbourhood. 
You  must  pay  it  several  visits  —  three  at  the 
very  least  —  and  you  may  as  well  begin  early. 
Follow  the  roughly  chronological  order  here 
indicated,  and  you  will  understand  it  very  much 
better.  Begin  again  next  time  where  you  left 
off  last:  but  also,  revisit  the  rooms  you  have 
already  seen,  to  let  the  pictures  sink  into  your 
memory.  Intersperse  these  visits  with  general 
sightseeing  in  the  town  and  neighbourhood. 
The  Brussels  Gallery  forms  an  excellent  con- 
tinuation to  the  works  of  art  we  have  already 
studied  at  Bruges  and  Ghent.  In  the  first 
place,  it  gives  us  some  further  examples  of 
208 


The   Brussels   Picture   Gallery    209 

the  Old  Flemish  masters,  of  the  Van  Eycks 
and  of  Memling,  as  well  as  several  altar-pieces 
belonging  to  the  mystical  religious  School  of 
the  Brussels  town-painter,  Roger  van  der 
Weyden,  who  was  Memling's  master.  These 
have  been  removed  from  churches  at  va- 
rious times,  and  gradually  collected  by  the 
present  Government.  It  also  affords  us  an 
admirable  opportunity  of  becoming  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  masterpieces  of  Dierick 
Bouts,  or  Dierick  of  Haarlem,  an  early 
painter,  Dutch  by  birth  but  Flemish  by  train- 
ing, who  was  town-painter  in  democratic 
Louvain  (which  town  may  afterward  be  made 
the  object  of  an  excursion  from  Brussels). 

But,  in  the  second  place,  besides  these  paint- 
ers of  the  early  school,  the  Brussels  Gallery 
is  rich  in  works  of  the  transitional  period, 
and  possesses  in  particular  a  magnificent 
altar-piece  by  Quentin  Matsys,  the  last  of  the 
old  Flemish  School,  and  the  first  great  pre- 
cursor of  the  Renaissance  in  the  Low  Coun- 
tries. He  was  practically  an  Antwerp  man 
(though  born  at  Lx>uvain),  and  his  place  in 
art  may  more  fitly  be  considered  in  the  Ant- 
werp Museum. 


2IO  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

From  his  time  on  we  are  enabled  to  trace, 
in  this  Gallery,  the  evolution  of  Flemish  art 
to  its  third  period,  the  time  of  Rubens  (also 
better  seen  at  Antwerp)  and  his  successors, 
the  great  Dutch  painters,  here  fairly  repre- 
sented by  Rembrandt,  Frans  Hals,  Van  der 
Heist,  Gerard  Dou,  and  Teniers. 

In  the  following  list  of  the  most  noteworthy 
works  of  each  School,  I  have  adhered,  roughly 
speaking,  to  chronological  order,  but  with- 
out compelling  the  reader  unnecessarily  to 
dance  up  and  down  the  various  rooms  of  the 
collection  from  one  work  to  another.  The 
Gallery  itself  is  one  of  the  most  splendid  in 
Europe,  and  it  has  been  recently  rearranged 
in  a  most  satisfactory  manner. 

The  national  collection  of  pictures  by  Old 
Masters  occupies  the  very  handsome  modern 
building  known  as  the  Palais  des  Beaux-Arts 
in  the  Rue  de  la  Regence,  immediately  after 
passing  through  the  Place  Royale.  (Four 
large  granite  columns  in  front :  bronze  sculp- 
ture groups  to  right  and  left.)  See  plan  on 
opposite  page. 

Enter  by  the  big  door  with  the  four  large 
granite  columns.     In  the  vestibule,  turn  to  the 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery     211 

right,  and  mount  the  staircase.  Then  pass 
through  Room  III.  and  Corridor  A,  to  Room 
V.  on  the  right,  and  on  to  Room  I.,  the  Hall 
of  the  Old  Flemish  Masters,  which  contains 
the   most   interesting   works   in   the   Gallery. 

ocdstOHiL  cirttAMa 

Ivin-I 


0000 
STKEET  FRONT 

THE   PICTURE   GALLERY    AT    BRUSSELS. 

You  may  also,  if  you  like,  pass  through  the 
collection  of  Sculpture  in  the  Hall  below, 
entering  by  Corridor  D ;  in  which  case,  turn 
to  the  left  into  Rooms  VHI.  and  H.,  and  then 
to  the  right  into  Room  L,  as  above.    This  is 


212  Belgium:   Its  Cities 

the  handsomer  entrance.  Much  of  the  sculp- 
ture has  great  merit :  but  being  purely  modem, 
it  does  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  these 
Historical  Guides. 

Begin  in  the  middle  of  the  wall,  with  No. 
19,  **  Hubert  van  Eyck :  the  two  outer  up- 
per shutters  from  the  Adoration  of  the  Lamb 
at  Ghent,  representing  Adam  and  Eve,  whose 
nudity  so  shocked  Joseph  H.  that  he  objected 
to  their  presence  in  a  church.  These  fine 
examples  of  the  un idealized  northern  nude  are 
highly  characteristic  of  the  Van  Eycks'  crafts- 
manship. The  Adam  is  an  extremely  con- 
scientious and  able  rendering-  of  an  ordinary 
and  ill-chosen  model,  surprisingly  and  almost 
painfully  true  in  its  fidelity  to  nature.  The 
foreshortening  of  the  foot,  the  minute  ren- 
dering of  the  separate  small  hairs  on  the  legs, 
the  large-veined,  every-day  hands,  the  frank 
exhibition  of  the  bones  and  sinews  of  the  neck, 
all  show  the  extreme  northern  love  of  realism, 
and  the  singular  northern  inattention  to 
beauty.  Compare  this  figure  with  the  large 
German  panels  on  a  gold  ground  in  the  cor- 
ners diagonally  opposite  (Nos.  141,  142),  if 
you  wish  to  see  how  great  an  advance  in  truth 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    213 

of  portraiture  was  made  by  the  Van  Eycks. 
The  Eve  is  an  equally  faithful  rendering  of 
an  uninteresting  model,  with  protruding  body 
and  spindle  legs.  Above,  in  the  lunettes,  are 
the  Offerings  of  Cain  and  Abel,  and  the  Death 
of  Abel,  in  grisaille.  The  backs  of  the  shut- 
ters will  be  opened  for  you  by  the  attendant. 
They  exhibit,  above,  two  Sibyls,  with  scrolls 
from  their  prophecies;  below  the  central  por- 
tion of  the  Annunciation  in  the  total  picture, 
with  a  view  through  the  window  over  the 
town  of  Ghent,  and  the  last  words  of  the 
angelic  message,  truncated  from  their  context. 
This  portion  of  the  picture,  is,  of  course,  only 
comprehensible  by  a  study  of  the  original 
altar-piece  at  Ghent. 

Continue  now  along  this  wall  to  the  right 
of  the  Adam  and  Eve. 

24.  J.  Gossart,  called  Mabuse  (1470 — 
1541),  triptych  with  a  Glorification  of  the 
Magdalen,  given  by  a  special  votary.  The 
central  panel  contains  the  chief  event  in  her 
history  —  the  Supper  at  the  House  of  Simon 
the  Pharisee.  The  host  and  one  guest  are 
admirably  represented  by  Flemish  portraits, 
exquisitely  robed,  and  reproduced  in  marvel- 


214  Belgium  ;   Its  Cities 

lous  detail.  The  figure  of  the  Christ  is,  as 
usual,  insipid.  Beneath  the  table,  the  Mag- 
dalen, as  central  figure,  with  her  alabaster 
box  of  ointment^  kisses  the  feet  of  Christ.  To 
the  right,  Judas,  with  his  traditional  red  hair, 
and  bearing  the  purse,  asks,  with  a  contemp- 
tuous gesture.  Why  this  was  not  sold  and  given 
to  the  poor?  In  the  background  are  the 
Apostles.  Conspicuous  amongst  them  is  the 
conventional  round  face  of  St.  Peter.  The 
whole  scene  takes  place  in  a  richly  decorated 
interior,  with  charming  colouring  and  a  finely 
rendered  clock,  curtain,  and  other  accessories. 
Gossart  visited  Italy,  and  was  one  of  the 
earliest  Flemings  to  be  influenced  by  the 
Italian  Renaissance.  You  will  not  overlook 
the  half-Gothic,  half-Renaissance  architecture, 
nor  the  chained  squirrel,  nor  the  semi- 
grotesque  episodes  in  the  background,  very 
domestic  and  Flemish.  (Moses  above  the 
Pharisee's  head  marks  his  devotion.) 

The  left  panel  has  another  principal  event 
in  the  Magdalen's  life^  the  Resurrection  of 
Lazarus.  Here  also  the  Christ  is  insipid,  but 
the  Peter  behind  him,  in  a  green  robe,  is  finely 
characterized;    and   the  John,   affected.     Be- 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    215 

side  are  the  Magdalen  (same  dress  as  before) 
and  Martha,  with  a  group  of  women  and  by- 
standers in  singular  head-dresses.  In  the 
background  rises  a  very  ideal  Bethany.  The 
right  panel  represents  the  kneeling  donor 
(an  unknown  Premonstratensian  abbot)  ;  on 
his  book  is  written,  "  Mary  Magdalen,  pray 
for  us."  Above  him  is  seen  the  floating  figure 
of  the  Magdalen,  clad  only  in  her  own  luxu- 
riant hair,  and  raised  aloft  by  angels  from 
her  cave,  the  Sainte  Baume,  in  Provence,  to 
behold  the  Beatific  Vision.  The  background 
has  Stations  of  the  Cross,  actually  copied 
(with  the  rest  of  the  landscape)  from  those 
at  the  Sainte  Baume,  which  Gossart  must  have 
visited  at  his  patron's  instance.  On  the  backs 
of  the  wings,  yet  another  scene  in  the  life  of 
the  Saint,  Christ  and  the  Magdalen  in  the 
Garden.  All  this  triptych  is  finely  modelled 
and  well-coloured. 

57'  59»  60.  Three  panels  attributed  to 
Roger  van  der  Weyden,  of  Toumay,  town- 
painter  of  Brussels,  and  teacher  of  Memling  — 
a  highly  symbolical  and  religious  master. 
Scenes  from  the  life  of  the  Virgin.  In  the 
centre,  the  Presentation  of  the  Virgin  in  the 


2i6  Belgium  :  Its  Cities 

Temple.  The  foreground  is  occupied  by  St. 
Joachim  and  St.  Anna,  parents  of  the  little 
Virgin,  who  is  seen  mounting  the  regulation 
fifteen  steps  of  the  Temple,  assisted  by  a 
somewhat  unusual  angel.  At  the  head  of  the 
steps  stands  the  High  Priest.  Within,  the 
Virgins  of  the  Lord  are  seen  reading.  To  the 
right,  still  in  the  same  panel,  is  the  Annun- 
ciation, with  the  usual  features,  angel  on  the 
left,  Madonna  on  the  right,  prie-dieu,  bed. 
Annunciation  lily,  and  arcade  in  the  fore- 
ground. The  left  panel  has  the  Circumcision; 
and  the  right,  Christ  among  the  Doctors  in 
the  Temple,  with  some  excellent  portraits  in 
the  background.  (For  Van  der  Weyden's 
place  in  art,  see  Conway;  for  the  Madonna 
ascending  the  steps,  *'  Legends  of  the  Ma- 
donna.") 

6 1,  62.  Also  attributed  to  Roger  van  der 
Weyden :  parts  of  the  same  series.  Way  to 
Calvary  and  the  Crucifixion.  The  first  has 
the  usual  brutal  soldiers  and  a  suffering  but 
not  very  dignified  Christ.  (Study  for  com- 
parison with  others.)  Beside  the  Virgin 
kneels  the  donor.  The  second  has  the  con- 
ventional figures  of  the  fainting  Madonna,  St. 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    217 

John,  the  Magdalen,  and  the  other  Maries: 
sun  and  moon  darkened.  In  the  distance  of 
both,  Flemish  towns.  (Good  trees  and  land- 
scape.) 

124A.  Good  portrait  by  unknown  (trans- 
itional) Fleming  (Van  Orley?),  probably 
of  a  lawyer :  the  charters  seem  to  indicate  a 
secretary  of  Maximilian  and  Charles  V. 

126.  A  crowded  Calvary  of  the  German 
School  (late  fifteenth  century)  with  an  ema- 
ciated Saviour,  writhing  and  distorted  thieves, 
and  rather  wooden  spectators.  Observe  the 
St.  Longinus  in  armour  on  the  bay  horse, 
piercing  the  side  of  Christ,  for  comparison 
hereafter  with  such  later  conceptions  as  Ru- 
bens's  at  Antwerp.  To  the  left  is  the  group  of 
the  Madonna,  St.  John,  and  the  two  Maries. 
The  red  eyes  of  St.  John  are  characteristic  of 
this  scene,  and  descend  to  Vandyck.  The 
Maries  are  unmitigated  German  housewives. 
The  Magdalen  embraces  the  foot  of  the  Cross. 
On  the  right  are  spectators  and  a  brawl  be- 
tween soldiers.  The  background  is  full  of 
characteristic  German  devils  and  horrors : 
also  St.  Veronica,  Peter,  Malchus,  Judas 
hanging  himself,  etc. 


2i8  Belgium:  Its  Cities 

Above  it,  143,  German  School.  Christ  and 
the  Apostles :  gold  background.  Very  fla- 
vourless :  shows  the  tendencies  from  which 
the  Van  Eycks  revolted. 

By  the  door,  yy.  Insipid  Flemish  Virgin 
and  Child. 

Now,  return  along  the  same  wall,  beyond 
the  great  Van  Eyck  in  the  centre. 

41.  Bernard  van  Orley  (transitional). 
Triptych  (sawn  in  two),  with  the  Patience 
of  Job  inside,  and  Lazarus  and  Dives  outside. 
In  the  centre  panel^  the  house  falling  upon 
the  sons  of  Job.  In  the  background,  Job  and 
his  comforters :  his  house  in  flames,  etc. 
Left  panel,  the  flocks  and  herds  of  Job  driven 
off  by  the  Sabeans,  with  Satan  before  the 
Almighty  at  the  summit.  Right  panel,  Job 
in  his  last  state  more  blessed  than  formerly: 
his  comforters  ask  him  to  intercede  for  them. 
Beyond  this  again,  the  outer  shutters  (the 
panels  having  been  sawn  through)  :  extreme 
left,  Lazarus  at  the  Rich  Man's  gate;  above, 
his  new-born  soul  borne  aloft  to  Heaven. 
Below,  cooks,  servants,  etc.  Extreme  right, 
the  Rich  Man  dying,  attended  by  his  physi- 
cian    (compare    the    Dropsical    Woman    by 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    219 

Gerard  Dou  in  the  Louvre).  Below,  Dives 
in  Torments  (in  a  very  Flemish  Hell)  calling 
to  Lazarus.  Above,  Lazarus  in  Abraham's 
bosom.  This  is  a  good  characteristic  ex- 
ample of  the  transitional  period  between  the 
early  and  later  Flemish  art,  greatly  influenced 
by  the  Italian  Renaissance.  Van  Orley 
travelled  in  Italy,  and  imitated  Raphael  in  com- 
position and  drawing. 

Beyond  it,  attributed  to  Roger  van  der 
Weyden,  58,  63,  64  (three  panels  arbitrarily 
placed  together).  In  the  centre  panel,  two 
subjects.  Left,  the  Nativity,  elements  all 
conventional :  ruined  temple,  shed,  ox,  and  ass 
(extremely  wooden),  and  St.  Joseph  in  back- 
ground. (He  frequently  bears  a  candle  in 
this  scene  in  order  to  indicate  that  the  time  is 
night.)  Right,  the  Adoration  of  the  Three 
Kings,  old,  middle-aged,  young,  the  last  a 
Moor.  St.  Joseph  examines,  as  often,  the 
Old  King's  gift.  Note  his  costume;  it  recurs 
in  Flemish  art.  Left  panel,  Joseph  of  Ari- 
mathea  with  the  Crown  of  Thorns,  Nicodemus 
with  the  three  nails,  St.  John,  and  the  three 
Maries  at  the  Sepulchre.  Right  panel,  En- 
tombment, with  the  same  figures :   the  Crown 


220  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

of  Thorns  and  nails  in  the  foreground. 
Great  importance  is  always  attached  to  these 
relics,  preserved  in  the  Sainte  Chapelle  and  at 
Monza,  near  Milan. 

At  the  corner,  two  good  portraits:  t.'j,  by 
Holbein  the  Younger,  of  *  Sir  Thomas  More. 

127.  Flagellation  and  Ascension,  German 
School,  with  gilt  backgrounds. 

Beneath  them,  a  fine  Madonna,  unnumbered, 
with  child  and  an  apple. 

On  either  side  of  it,  *  145,  146,  beautiful 
soft-toned  German  portraits  (by  Beham?) 
of  two  children,  Maximilian  II.,  and  his 
sister,  Anne  of  Austria. 

The  skied  pictures  on  this  wall  are  only  in- 
teresting as  specimens  of  the  later  transitional 
period,  when  Flemish  art  was  aiming  ill  at 
effects  unnatural  to  it. 

Continue  along  the  wall  in  the  same  direc- 
tion. 

271,  skied,  is  a  Last  Judgment  by  Floris,  also 
transitional  and  useful  for  comparison  with 
others  elsewhere.  To  right  and  left,  the  Fall 
of  the  Damned  and  the  Just  Ascending  re- 
call early  examples  at  Bruges. 

By  the  door,  loi,   *  portrait  of  Johanna  of 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    221 

Spain  (the  Mad),  mother  of  Charles  V. : 
fine  fifteenth  century  work,  attributed  to  Jacob 
Jansz  of  Haarlem. 

73,  74.  Excellent  old  Flemish  portraits. 
Between  them,  36,  a  Holy  Family  and  St. 
Anne,  with  the  donor,  a  Franciscan  monk,  by 
a  feeble  imitator  of  Memling. 

Above  it,  68,  Scenes  from  the  Life  of  the 
Virgin,  with  a  donor.  On  the  left,  the  Na- 
tivity. Note  the  conventional  elements.  On 
the  right,  the  Circumcision.  Above,  Angel  and 
patron  saints. 

100.  *  Portrait  of  Philippe  le  Beau,  father 
of  Charles  V.,  companion  to  his  wife  opposite. 
Observe  the  collar  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  and 
the  united  anns  of  Spain,  Burgundy,  etc.,  on 
his  doublet.  These  portraits  were  originally 
the  wings  of  a  triptych. 

112.  Triptych,  Flemish  School,  early  six- 
teenth century.  Centre  panel,  Miracle  of  St. 
Anthony  of  Padua  and  the  Mule.  (The 
Saint,  carrying  the  Host,  met  a  scoffer's  mule, 
which  knelt  as  it  passed.)  Above,  St.  Bona- 
ventura,  attired  as  bishop,  praying.  These 
must  be  the  chief  objects  of  the  donor's  de- 
votion :  they  are  also  represented  on  the  outer 


222  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

wings.  Right  and  left,  the  donor  (whose 
name  was  Tobias),  with  his  personal  patron, 
St.  Raphael  the  Archangel  (accompanying 
the  young  Tobias),  and  his  wife,  with  St. 
Margaret  and  the  Dragon.  (For  Tobias  and 
the  Fish,  see  Book  of  Tobit.) 

Beneath  it,  Patinier,  a  painter  chiefly  mem- 
orable for  his  landscapes  (of  which  this  is  a 
poor  example).  St.  Jerome  in  the  Desert, 
beating  his  breast  with  a  stone  before  a 
crucifix.  Beside  him,  his  cardinal's  hat  and 
lion.       Not  a  good  example  of  the  master. 

42.  Tolerable  portrait  of  a  doctor,  by  Ber- 
nard van  Orley. 

56.  Roger  van  der  Weyden :  head  of  a 
Woman  Weeping.  Perhaps  a  portion  of  a 
large  composition,  or  a  study  for  one.  More 
likely,  a  copy  by  a  pupil.    Much  damaged. 

70.  Triptych  of  the  Flemish  School  (Hugo 
van  der  Goes?)  ;  centre  panel,  Assumption 
of  Our  Lady.  Round  the  empty  tomb  are 
gathered  the  apostles ;  conspicuous  among 
them,  St.  Peter  with  a  censer,  and  St.  James. 
Above,  Our  Lady  taken  up  in  a  glory  by  Christ 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  represented  as  like  Him. 
In  the  background,  her  Funeral,   St.   Peter, 


The  Brussels   Picture  Gallery    223 

as  Pope,  accompanying.  Note  the  papal  dress 
of  St.  Peter;  St.  James  holds  the  cross  as 
Bishop  of  Jerusalem.  Left  wing,  the  chief 
donor,  accompanied  by  his  guardian  angel  and 
two  of  the  apostles,  one  of  whom  holds  St. 
Peter's  tiara^  as  if  part  of  the  main  picture. 
In  the  background,  St.  Thomas  receiving  the 
Holy  Girdle  from  an  Angel,  a  common  treat- 
ment in  Flemish  art,  though  Italians  make 
him  receive  it  from  Our  Lady  in  person. 
Right  wing,  donor's  son  and  wife,  with 
guardian  angel.  This  triptych  closely  re- 
sembles No.  71  (which  see  later),  except  that 
that  picture  is  in  one  panel,  instead  of  three.  I 
think  71  must  have  been  painted  first,  and 
this  taken  from  it,  but  made  into  a  triptych; 
which  would  account  for  the  unusual  flowing 
over  of  the  main  subject  into  the  wings. 

Beside  it,  unnumbered,  Patinier :  Repose 
on  the  Flight  into  Egypt,  with  fine  landscape 
background. 

49.  Martin  Schongauer  (of  Colmar,  a  Ger- 
man largely  influenced  by  Roger  van  der 
Weyden),  *  Ecce  Homo,  painted  like  a 
miniature. 


224  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

Above,  72,  Flemish  School,  Head  of  St. 
John  the  Baptist  on  a  charger. 

47A,  Patinier :  another  Repose  on  the  Flight 
into  Egypt.  Observe  persistence  of  the  main 
elements.  Notice  in  particular,  as  compared 
with  the  similar  picture  close  by,  the  staff, 
basket,  etc.,  in  the  right  foreground. 

35.  School  of  Memling,  perhaps  by  the 
master :  a  Bishop  preaching :  M.  Fetis  thinks, 
exhorting  the  Crusade  in  which  Pope  Nicolas 
V.  wished  to  interest  the  princes  of  Europe 
after  the  fall  of  Constantinople. 

18.  School  of  Diirer:  Fine  and  thought- 
ful portrait  of  a  man,  perhaps  Erasmus. 

Above  it,  78,  Flemish  triptych  (School  of 
Van  der  Weyden)  of  the  Adoration  of  the 
Magi,  the  elements  in  which  will  by  this  time 
be  familiar  to  you.  Right  and  left.  Adoration 
of  the  Shepherds  and  Circumcision.  The 
exceptional  frequency  of  the  subject  of  the 
Adoration  of  the  Magi  in  the  Low  Countries 
and  the  Rhine  district  is  to  be  accounted  for 
by  the  fact  that  the  relics  of  the  Three  Kings 
are  preserved  in  Cologne  Cathedral,  and  are 
there  the  chief  object  of  local  cult. 

At  the  comer. 


The  Brussels   Picture  Gallery    225 

5  and  6,  two  good  portraits  by  the  German 
De  Bruyn  (early  sixteenth  century).  Transi- 
tional :    show  Italian  influence. 

Between  them,  unknown  German,  Wedding 
Feast  at  Cana.  That  you  may  have  no  doubt 
as  to  the  reality  of  the  miracle,  a  servant  is 
pouring  water  into  the  jars  in  the  foreground. 
He  is  much  the  best  portion  of  the  picture.  Be- 
hind are  Christ,  St.  John,  and  Our  Lady.  Next 
to  them,  the  bride  and  bridegroom.  (Com- 
pare the  Gerard  David  in  the  Louvre.) 

Above  it,  142,  a  very  quaint  St.  George 
and  St.  Catherine,  early  German  School,  with 
gold  background.  St.  George  is  stiffly  clad 
in  armour,  and  painfully  conscious  of  his 
spindle  legs,  with  a  transfixed  dragon  and 
broken  lance  at  his  feet.  St.  Catherine  looks 
extremely  peevish,  with  a  Byzantine  down- 
drawn  mouth :  she  holds  the  sword  of  her 
martyrdom,  and  has  a  fragment  of  her  wheel 
showing  behind  her.  Her  face  is  highly 
characteristic  of  the  severity  and  austerity  of 
early  German  art.  Companion  piece  (141) 
at  opposite  corner. 

Now  proceed  to  the  next  wall. 

105.     Tolerable   triptych,   Flemish   School, 


226  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

representing  the  events  of  the  Infancy. 
Centre,  Adoration  of  the  Shepherds,  with  the 
usual  conventional  features  (ruined  temple, 
shed,  ox  and  ass,  etc.)  and  St.  Joseph  holding 
his  candle,  as  often,  to  indicate  night-time. 
Left,  Annunciation,  with  the  usual  position 
of  the  angel  reversed.  Otherwise  the  portico 
and  other  features  persist.  Compare  the 
great  Van  Eyck  at  Ghent,  from  which  some 
elements  here  are  borrowed.  Right,  the  Cir- 
cumcision. Symbolical  figure  of  Moses  on 
altar  full  of  the  symbolism  of  Van  der  Wey- 
den's  School.  (Outer  shutters,  uninteresting, 
St.  Catherine  and  St.  Barbara.) 

114.  The  Seven  Sorrows  of  Mary,  in 
grisaille,  with  the  Mater  Dolorosa  in  the 
centre.  Study  these  Seven  Sorrows:  they 
recur. 

47.  Pleasing  transitional  Madonna,  School 
of  Van  Orley,  somewhat  Italian  in  feeling,  in 
a  pretty  arcade,  with  nice  landscape  back- 
ground. 

69.  *  Descent  from  the  Cross  (Van  der 
Weyden  or  his  School).  Notice  the  white 
sheet  on  which  the  body  is  laid,  as  later  in 
the   great    Rubens.      Nicodemus   and   Joseph 


BOUTS. — ^  JUSTICE    OF    EMPEROR   OTHO 

(First  panel). 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    227 

of  Arimathea  support  the  body;  St.  John  and 
one  of  the  Maries  hold  the  fainting  Madonna. 
Left,  the  Magdalen,  with  her  long  hair.  By 
her  feet,  her  box  of  ointment.  Close  beside 
it,  the  nails,  hammer,  and  pincers.  (M.  Lafe- 
nestre,  following  Bode,  attributes  this  picture 
to  Petrus  Christus,  but  with  a  query.) 

3F.  *  Dierick  Bouts  of  Louvain:  The  Last 
Supper.  A  fine  and  characteristic  exaanple 
of  the  town-painter  of  Louvain.  The  faces 
are  those  of  peasants  or  small  bourgeois. 
To  the  right  are  the  donors,  entering  as  spec- 
tators :  their  faces  are  excellent.  Judas  sits 
in  front  of  the  table.  The  Christ  is  insipid. 
Note  the  admirable  work  of  the  pavement  and 
background.  The  servant  is  a  good  feature. 
If  you  have  Conway  with  you,  compare  this 
picture  with  the  engraving  of  the  very  similar 
one  by  Bouts  at  Louvain,  only,  the  architecture 
there  is  Gothic,  here  Renaissance. 

Above  it,  80,  unknown  Flemish  master: 
the  Miracles  of  St.  Benedict.  He  moves  the 
great  stone  held  down  by  devils,  and  performs 
several  other  wonders  (the  visit  of  Romanus, 
Maurus  saving  Placidus,  etc.),  for  which  see 
Mrs.  Jameson,   "  Monastic  Orders." 


228  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

3c  and  3D.  *'''  Dierick  Bouts :  Two  com- 
panion panels,  life-size  figures,  known  as  the 
Justice  of  the  Emperor  Otho,  and  painted  for 
the  Council-Room  of  the  H6tel-de-Ville  at 
Louvain,  as  warning  to  evil-doers,  perjurers, 
or  unjust  magistrates.  (Compare  the  Gerard 
David  of  the  Flaying  of  Sisamnes  in  the 
Academy  at  Bruges.)  It  is  first  necessary  to 
understand  the  story.  During  the  absence  of 
the  Emperor  Otho  in  Italy  (according  to 
tradition),  his  Empress  made  advances  to  a 
gentleman  of  the  court,  who  rejected  her 
offers.  Piqued  by  this  rebuff,  the  Empress  de- 
nounced him  to  Otho  on  his  return  as  having 
attempted  to  betray  her  honour.  Otho,  with- 
out further  testimony,  had  the  nobleman  be- 
headed. His  widow  appeared  before  the 
Emperor's  judgment-seat,  bearing  her  hus- 
band's head  in  her  hands,  and  offered  to  prove 
his  innocence  by  the  ordeal  of  fire.  She  there- 
fore held  a  red-hot  iron  in  her  hand  unhurt. 
Otho,  convinced  of  his  wife's  treachery  by  this 
miraculous  evidence,  had  the  perjured  Empress 
burned  alive.  The  first  panel  to  the  ri^ht,  rep- 
resents the  scene  in  two  separate  moments. 
Behind,  the  nobleman,  in  his  shirt  and  with  his 


The  Brussels  Picture   Gallery    22Q 

hands  tied,  walks  toward  the  place  of  execution, 
accompanied  by  his  wife  in  a  red  dress  and 
black  hoodj  as  well  as  by  a  Franciscan  friar. 
In  the  foreground,  the  executioner  (looking 
grimly  stem)  has  just  decapitated  the  victim, 
and  is  giving  the  head  to  the  wife  in  a  towel. 
The  headless  corpse  lies  on  the  ground  before 
him.  The  neck  originally  spurted  blood; 
flowers  have  been  painted  in  to  conceal  this 
painful  element.  All  round  stand  spectators, 
probably  portraits  of  the  Louvain  magistrates, 
admirably  rendered  in  Bouts's  dry  and  stiff 
but  lifelike  manner.  Behind  them,  within 
a  walled  garden  belonging  to  a  castle  in  the 
background,  stand  the  Emperor  with  his 
sceptre  and  crown,  and  the  faithless  Empress. 
Good  town  and  landscape  to  the  left.  The 
second  panel,  to  the  left,  separated  from  this 
by  a  large  triptych,  represents  the  nobleman's 
wife  appearing  before  the  enthroned  Otho. 
In  her  right  hand  she  holds  her  husband's 
head ;  with  her  left  she  grasps  the  red-hot  iron, 
unmoved.  The  brazier  of  charcoal  in  which 
it  has  been  heated  stands  on  the  parti-coloured 
marble  floor  in  the  foreground.  Around  are 
several  portraits  of  courtiers.    Behind  is  repre- 


230  Belgium ;    Its    Cities 

sented  the  scene  of  the  Empress  burning,  which 
closes  the  episode.  I  need  not  call  attention 
to  the  admirable  painting  of  the  fur,  the  green 
coat,  Otho's  flowered  red  robe,  the  dog,  the 
throne,  and  all  the  other  accessories.  This  is 
considered  Dierick  Bouts's  masterpiece.  (Go 
later  to  Lx>uvain  to  complete  your  idea  of 
him.) 

Between  these  two  pictures  are  arranged 
five  of  the  finest  works  in  the  collection. 

32  and  33.  Memling:  **  Portraits  of 
Willem  Moreel  (or  Morelli),  Burgomaster  of 
Bruges,  and  his  wife,  Barbara,  the  same  per- 
sons (Savoyards)  who  are  represented  in  the 
St.  Christopher  triptych  in  the  Academy  at 
Bruges.  Their  daughter  is  the  Sibyl  Sam- 
betha  of  the  St.  John's  Hospital.  Both 
portraits,  but  especially  the  Burgomaster's, 
are  good,  hard,  dry  pictures. 

31.  MemHng:  **  Triptych:  perhaps  painted 
in  Italy  (if  I  permitted  myself  an  opinion, 
I  would  say,  doubtfully  by  Memling).  At 
any  rate,  it  is  for  the  Sforza  family  of  Milan. 
Central  panel,  the  Crucifixion,  with  Our  Lady 
and  St.  John.  Beautiful  background  of  a 
fanciful  Jerusalem.     Sun  and  moon  darkened. 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    231 

In  the  foreground  kneel  Francesco  Sforza  in 
armour,  his  wife,  Bianca  Visconti,  and  his 
son,  Galeazzo-Maria.  Behind  the  duke,  his 
coat  of  arms.  Left  panel :  the  Nativity.  In 
the  foreground  St.  Francis  with  the  Stigmata, 
as  patron  saint  of  Francesco,  and  St.  Bavon 
with  his  falcon.  Right  panel :  St.  John  the 
Baptist,  as  patron  saint  of  Giovanni  Galeazzo. 
Below,  St.  Catherine  with  her  sword  and 
wheel,  and  St.  Barbara  with  her  tower,  two 
charming  figures.  I  do  not  know  the  reason 
of  their  introduction,  but  they  are  common 
pendants  of  one  another  in  northern  art.  You 
can  get  an  attendant  to  unfasten  the  outer 
wings  of  the  triptych  for  you,  but  they  are 
not  important.  They  contain,  in  grisaille,  on 
the  left,  St.  Jerome  and  the  lion ;  on  the  right, 
St.  George  and  the  dragon.  (The  presence 
of  St.  Bavon  in  this  enigmatic  picture  leads 
me  to  suppose  it  was  painted  for  a  church 
at  Ghent.  But  what  were  the  Sforza  family 
doing  there?  Perhaps  it  has  reference  to  some 
local  business  of  the  Sforzas  in  Flanders.) 

55.  **  Roger  van  der  Weyden :  Portrait 
of  Charles  the  Bold  of  Burgundy,  wearing 
the  Golden  Fleece.     An  excellent  and  charac- 


232  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

teristic  piece  of  workmanship.  The  arrow 
has  a  meaning:  it  is  the  symbol  of  St.  Se- 
bastian, to  whom  (as  plague-saint)  Charles 
made  a  vow  in  illness,  and  whom  ever  after 
he  specially  reverenced. 

34.  Memling:  **  Portrait  of  an  unknown 
man,  which  may  be  contrasted  for  its  com- 
parative softness  of  execution  with  the  harder 
work  of  his  master  beside  it.    Above  these :  — 

26.  Triptych,  by  Heemskerck  (early  Dutch 
School),  representing.  Centre,  the  Entomb- 
ment, Christ  borne,  as  usual,  by  Nicodemus 
and  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  In  front,  the  crown 
of  thorns.  Behind,  the  Magdalen;  then  the 
Madonna  and  St.  John,  the  two  Maries,  and 
an  unknown  man  holding  a  vase  of  ointment. 
To  the  left  and  right,  the  donor  and  his  wife, 
with  their  patron  saints^  Peter  and  Mary 
Magdalen   (keys,  box  of  ointment). 

20.  Jan  van  Eyck  (attribution  doubtful; 
probably  a  later  artist,  perhaps  Gerard  David)  : 
The  Adoration  of  the  Magi.  Another  good 
example  of  this  favourite  Flemish  subject. 
In  the  foreground,  the  Madonna  and  Child : 
one  of  Van  Eyck's  most  pleasing  faces  (if 
his).     Then,   the    Old    King,    kneeling;     the 


JAN    VAN    EYCK. ADORATION    OF   THE    MAGI. 


The  Brussels   Picture   Gallery     233 

Middle-aged  King,  half-l<neeling;  and  the 
Young  King,  a  Moor,  with  his  gift,  behind. 
(The  Old  King  in  such  pictures  has  almost 
always  deposited  his  gift.)  In  the  back- 
ground, Joseph,  and  the  retinue  of  the  Magi. 
Ruined  temple,  shed,  ox,  ass,  etc.,  as  usual. 

140.  **  Unknown  German  master  (La- 
fenestre  says,  Flemish).  Panel  with  Our 
Lady  and  Virgin  Saints,  what  is  called  a 
"  Paradise  Picture,"  apparently  painted  for  a 
church  or  nunnery  in  Cologne,  and  with  the 
chief  patronesses  of  the  city  churches  or 
chapels  grouped  around  in  adoration.  Our 
Lady,  with  her  typical  German  features,  sits 
in  front,  in  a  robe  of  blue,  before  a  crimson 
damask  curtain  upheld  by  angels.  Her  face 
is  sweetly  and  insipidly  charming.  She  holds 
a  regal  court  among  her  ladies.  In  front  of 
her  kneels  the  Magdalen,  with  her  long  hair 
and  pot  of  ointment.  To  the  left,  St.  Cath- 
erine of  Alexandria,  crowned  as  princess,  and 
with  her  wheel  embroidered  in  pearls  on  her 
red  robe  as  a  symbol.  The  Infant  Christ 
places  the  ring  on  her  finger.  Further  on  the 
left,  St.  Cecilia  with  a  bell,  substituted  in 
northern  art  (where  the  chimes  in  the  belfry 


234  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

were  so  important)  for  the  organ  which  she 
holds  in  Italy.  Then,  St.  Lucy,  with  her 
eyes  in  a  dish,  and  St.  Apollonia,  holding 
her  tooth  in  a  pair  of  pincers.  In  front  of 
these  two,  in  a  richly  brocaded  dress,  and 
beautiful  crown,  St.  Ursula,  the  great  martyr 
of  Cologne,  with  the  arrows  of  her  martyrdom 
lying  at  her  feet.  To  Our  Lady's  right,  St. 
Barbara,  in  a  purple  robe  trimmed  with  ermine 
and  embroidered  with  her  tower  (of  three 
windows),  offers  a  rose  to  the  Infant.  Her 
necklet  is  of  towers.  As  usual  in  northern 
art,  she  balances  St.  Catherine.  Beside  her 
kneels  St.  Agnes,  in  red,  with  her  lamb,  and 
her  ruby  ring:  beyond  whom  are  St.  Helena 
with  the  cross  (wearing  a  simple  Roman 
circlet),  St.  Agatha,  holding  her  own  severed 
breast  in  the  pincers,  and  St.  Cunera  with 
the  cradle  and  arrow,  one  of  the  martyred 
companions  of  St.  Ursula.  In  the  background, 
the  True  Vine  on  a  trellis,  the  garden  of  roses 
("is  my  sister,  my  spouse"),  and  a  land- 
scape of  the  Rhine,  in  which  St.  George  kills 
the  dragon.  This  is  a  particularly  fine  com- 
position of  the  old  German  School. 

3E.      Dierick   Bouts :    *  Martyrdom   of   St. 


The   Brussels  Picture   Gallery    235 

Sebastian.  Characteristic  peasant  face;  ad- 
mirable cloak  and  background. 

1 08 A.  Good,  dry  portrait,  by  an  unknown 
early  Flemish  artist.  Our  Lady  and  an  angel 
with  a  charter  in  the  background.  Observe 
the  animals  and  the  scenes  in  the  background, 
foreshadowing  later  Dutch  painting.  (Among 
them,  Augustus  and  the  Sybil.) 

107,  108.  Fine  portraits  of  a  donor  and 
his  wife  (accompanying  the  last),  with  their 
patron  saints,  Peter  and  Paul.  The  tops  of 
all  have  been  sawn  off. 

Above  these,  7,  a  triptych,  by  Coninxloo. 
Centre,  Family  of  St.  Anne.  Interesting  for 
comparison  with  the  great  Quentin  Matsys 
in  the  centre  of  the  room.  Left,  Joachim's 
offering  rejected  in  the  Temple  (small  epi- 
sodes behind).  Right,  the  death  of  St.  Anne. 
Come  back  to  the  central  panel  after  you  have 
viewed  the  Quentin  Matsys.  (The  compo- 
nent personages  are  explained  there.) 

115.  Good  family  group  of  a  donor  and  his 
sons,  with  St.  George;  and  his  wife  and 
daughters,  with  St.  Barbara.  (The  cruci- 
fixes mark  monks  and  nuns.) 

At  the  corner,    141,   German   School.      St. 


236  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Mary  Magdalen  and  St.  Thomas,  on  gold 
background.  Companion  piece  to  142.  At 
opposite  end 

13.  Cranach  the  Elder.  Hard  portrait 
of  a  very  Scotch-looking  and  Calvinistic  elder. 

50.  School  of  Martin  Schongauer:  Christ 
and  the  Magdalen  in  the  house  of  the  Phari- 
see. Very  contorted.  Compare  with  the 
Gossart, 

I.  Amberger:  German  School,  sixteenth 
century ;  excellent  portrait  of  a  gentleman : 
good  beard. 

29.  To  the  left,  Lombard,  sixteenth  cen- 
tury: A  Last  Supper.  Only  interesting  as 
showing  transition.  Compare  with  Dierick 
Bouts. 

Above  it,  106.  Flemish  School.  Mass  of 
St.  Gregory,  with  the  Crucified  Christ  appear- 
ing on  the  altar,  (Recall  the  Pourbus  at 
Bruges.)  A  most  unpleasant  picture.  Be- 
hind, are  the  elements  of  the  Passion.  Left, 
the  donors ;  right.  Souls  in  Purgatory,  relieved 
by  masses.  Many  minor  episodes  occupy  the 
area. 

37  and  75.  Two  Madonnas.  Not  very 
important. 


The  Brussels  Picture   Gallery    237 

43.     Good  portrait  by  Bernard  van  Orley. 

48.  Patinier:  Dead  Christ  cm  the  knees 
of  the  Virgin  (Our  Lady  of  the  Seven  Sor- 
rows), painfully  emaciated.  A  sword  pierces 
Our  Lady's  breast  (and  will  recur  often). 
Around  it,  the  rest  of  the  Seven  Sorrows. 
Note  the  landscape,  characteristic  of  the 
painter. 

30.  Lombard :  Unimportant  picture,  mean- 
inglessly  described  as  Human  Misfortunes.  It 
seems  to  commemorate  an  escape  from  ship- 
wreck and  from  plagues  by  the  same  person. 
Left  panel :  A  ship  sinking ;  a  man  saved  on 
the  shore.  In  the  background,  under  divine 
direction  of  an  angel,  he  finds  his  lost  gold 
in  a  fish's  body.  Right  panel.  He  lies  ill  of 
plague,  while  above  is  seen  the  miracle  of 
St.  Gregory  and  the  Angel  of  the  Plague 
(Michael)  sheathing  his  sword  on  the  Castle 
of  St.  Angelo. 

12.  Coninxloo:  Joachim  and  Anna,  with 
the  rejected  offering.  From  them,  a  genea- 
logical tree  bears  the  Madonna  and  Child.  To 
the  left  and  right,  the  angel  appearing  to 
Joachim,  and  Joachim  and  Anna  at  the  Golden 


238  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

Gate.  (Read  up  the  legend.)  Curious  archi- 
tectural setting. 

40.  Van  Orley.  Pieta,  with  the  usual 
group,  and  family  of  donors.  Interesting  as 
a  work  of  transition. 

Above  it,  98.  Triptych,  with  Descent  from 
the  Cross,  Flemish  School.  Usual  figures: 
identify  them.  On  the  wings,  to  the  left. 
Agony  in  the  Garden,  Kiss  of  Judas,  Peter  and 
Malchus ;  to  the  right,  The  Resurrection,  Noli 
Me  Tangere,  Disciples  at  Emmaus,  etc. 

71.  Good  unknown  Flemish  picture  of  the 
*  Assumption  of  Our  Lady  (closely  resem- 
bling No.  70,  which  see  again).  The  empty 
tomb  stands  in  the  midst,  with  lilies ;  around, 
St.  Peter  and  St.  James,  and  the  other  apos- 
tles; above,  Our  Lady  ascending,  borne  by 
a  duplicated  figure  of  Christ  (one  standing 
for  the  Holy  Ghost),  in  an  almond-shaped 
glory.  On  the  right,  Her  Funeral,  with  St. 
Peter  wearing  the  triple  crown;  on  the  left, 
St.  Thomas  receiving  the  girdle  from  an 
angel.  Compare  with  70,  which  Lafenestre 
judges  to  be  the  work  of  a  different  artist. 

21.       Petrus     Christus:      *  Madonna    and 


The    Brussels    Picture   Gallery    239 

Child.     One  of  the  finest  Madonnas  of  the 
School  of  Van  Eyck. 

The  place  of  honour  in  the  centre  of  the 
room  is  occupied  by  38,  a  magnificent  **  trip- 
tych by  Quentin  Matsys,  one  of  the  noblest 
works  of  the  transitional  School,  strangely 
luminous,  with  very  characteristic  and  curious 
colouring.  It  represents  the  favourite  Flem- 
ish subject  of  the  Family  of  St.  Anne.  (It 
was  painted  for  the  Confraternity  of  St.  Anne 
at  Lou  vain,  and  stood  as  an  altar-piece  in  the 
church  of  St.  Pierre.)  Central  panel:  An 
arcade,  in  the  middle  arch  of  which  appears 
St.  Anne,  in  red  and  purple  (throughout), 
offering  grapes  to  the  Divine  Child,  who  holds 
a  bullfinch,  and  is  seated  on  the  lap  of  Our 
Lady.  To  her  right,  Mary  Salome,  with  her 
two  sons,  James  and  John.  To  her  left,  Mary 
Cleophas,  with  her  sons,  James  the  Less, 
Simon,  Thaddseus,  and  Joseph  the  Just.  Be- 
hind the  parapet,  beside  St.  Anne,  her  hus- 
band, Joachim;  and  beside  Mary  Salome,  her 
husband,  Zebedee.  Beside  Our  Lady,  her 
husband,  Joseph;  beside  Mary  Cleophas,  her 
husband,  Alphseus.  Beautiful  blue  mountain 
landscape.     Left  panel :    The  angel  appearing 


240  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

to  Joachim,  in  a  magnificent  blue  landscape. 
Joachim's  dress  is  constant.  The  angel's 
robe  is  most  delicious  in  colour.  Right  panel : 
The  Death  of  St.  Anne,  with  Our  Lady  and 
the  other  Maries  in  attendance.  Behind,  their 
husbands.  The  young  Christ  gives  the  bene- 
diction. 

Now,  go  round  to  the  back  of  the  picture, 
to  observe  the  outer  wings.  On  the  left,  St. 
Joachim  driven  from  the  Temple  by  the  High 
Priest.  On  the  right  (chronologically  the 
first),  Joachim  and  Anna  (much  younger), 
making  their  offerings  (on  marriage)  to  the 
High  Priest  in  the  Temple.  (Same  High 
Priest,  younger;  same  dresses.)  The  por- 
trait behind  recalls  the  earlier  Flemish  man- 
ner; otherwise,  the  work  is  full  of  incipi- 
ent transition  to  the  Renaissance.  Little 
episode  of  Joachim  and  Anna  distributing 
alms  in  the  background.  (When  the  triptych 
is  closed,  this  wing  comes  in  its  proper  place 
as  first  of  the  series.) 


CHAPTER    XVIL 

THE       BRUSSELS       PICTURE       GALLERY:        THE 
OTHER     HALLS 

NOW  go  into  the  next  hall,  marked  Room 
11.  on  the  plan.  This  contains  mainly 
German  and  Flemish  pictures  of  the  transi- 
tion. 

Right  of  the  door,  unknown  and  unnum- 
bered, Adam  and  Eve.  Good  later  Flemish 
nude. 

125.     Quaint  German  Annunciation. 

130.  Crucifixion,  by  an  unknown  German, 
with  small  figures  of  donors,  and  Rhine  back- 
ground. 

14,  15.  Cranach  the  Elder  (German  six- 
teenth century)  :  *  Adam  and  Eve.  Fine 
specimens  of  the  later  northern  nude  of  the 
early  Renaissance,  interesting  for  comparison 
with  the  cruder  realism   of  Van   Eyck.     As 

yet,  however,  even  the  figure  of  Eve  has  rela- 
241 


242  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

tively  little  idealism  or  beauty.  Excellent 
stag  in  the  background. 

137.  Six  panels :  German  School.  Ornate, 
but  not  interesting,  (i)  The  Lord  creating 
Eve;  in  the  background  the  Temptation.  (2) 
Abraham,  Sarah,  and  Isaac;  in  the  back- 
ground in  three  successive  scenes,  Abraham's 
Sacrifice.  (3)  Noah  and  his  Family  with  the 
Ark.  (4)  Esau  asks  the  Blessing  of  Isaac. 
(5)  Meeting  of  Jacob  and  Esau.  Note  the 
grotesquely  urban  conception  of  the  Semitic 
nomads.     (6)    The  Nativity. 

129.  German  School.  Tree  of  Jesse,  of 
purely  symbolical  interest. 

28.  J.  Joest:  St.  Anne  enthroned,  Joseph, 
Our  Lady,  the  Infant.     Early  transitional. 

293.  Van  Hemessen  :  Genre  piece,  absurdly 
given  the  name  of  The  Prodigal  Son,  by  a  sort 
of  prescription,  but  really  a  Flemish  tavern 
scene  of  the  sort  which  afterward  appealed  to 
Dutch  artists.  A  characteristic  work:  transi- 
tional, but  with  good  humourous  faces,  espe- 
cially to  the  right.  Painters  still  thought  all 
pictures  must  pretend  to  be  sacred. 

29.  Mostart :  Two  stories  from  the  life 
of   St.   Benedict,      (i)     The  Miracle  of  his 


The   Brussels   Picture  Gallery    243 

dinner.  (2)  As  a  youth,  he  mends  by  prayer 
the  dish  broken  by  his  nurse.  ( See  Mrs.  Jame- 
son's "Monastic  Orders.") 

3.  Lancelot  Blondeel :  St.  Peter  enthroned 
as  Pope:  in  one  of  his  usual  extravagant  ar- 
chitectural frameworks.  In  circles  above,  his 
Imprisonment  and  Crucifixion. 

Close  by,  unnumbered,  two  excellent  por- 
traits. 

79.  Transitional  Adoration  of  the  Shep- 
herds. Observe  the  growing  Renaissance 
feeling  and  Italian  influence. 

4A.  P.  Brueghel  the  Younger:  absurdly 
called  The  Census  at  Bethlehem.  In  reality 
a  Flemish  Winter  Scene. 

356.  Sir  Anthony  More:  *  Portrait  of  the 
Duke  of  Alva,  with  the  firm  lips  and  cruel 
eyes  of  the  ruthless  Spaniard.  One  under- 
stands him. 

3B.  J.  Bosch :  Appalling  Flemish  Temp- 
tation of  St.  Anthony,  with  perhaps  the  silliest 
and  most  grotesquely  repulsive  devils  ever 
painted. 

387.  Good  portrait  by  Pourbus  of  a  plump 
and  well-fed  Flemish  gentleman. 

4.  P.  Brueghel  the  Elder :  Described  as  the 


244  Belgium  :   Its    Cities 

Massacre  of  the  Innocents.     Flemish  winter. 
The  beginning  of  genre  painting. 

Most  of  the  pictures  skied  above  these  are 
of  some  interest  for  comparison  with  earher 
examples  of  the  same  subjects. 

152.  Unknown  French  portrait  of  Edward 
VI.  of  England.  Hard  and  dry  and  of  little 
artistic  value. 

76.  Tolerable  Flemish  portrait  of  Guil- 
laume  de  Croy  (Golden  Fleece). 

192.  Another  example  of  a  later  Last 
Judgment. 

124B.  Unusual  combined  picture  of  St. 
Jerome,  uniting  the  subjects  usually  known  as 
St.  Jerome  in  the  Desert  and  St.  Jerome  in 
his  Study. 

97.  Flemish  School :  Annunciation. 
Chiefly  interesting  for  its  conventional  fea- 
tures, and  its  very  quaint  figure  of  St.  Mary 
of  Egypt,  with  her  three  loaves,  in  the  right 
panel. 

121.  Good  Flemish  portrait  of  a  woman, 
dated  1504. 

132.  German  Adoration  of  the  Magi.  A 
fragment  only. 

153.  Aertsen:     *  The    Dutch    Cook.      A 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    245 

famous  picture,  showing  well  the  earlier 
stages  of  Dutch  genre  development. 

116.  A  late  Flemish  Virgin,  with  portrait 
of  the  donor,  and  St.  Francis  receiving  the 
Stigmata,    Beneath  it 

386.  A  good  Pourbus.  Beyond  the  door, 
66,  Flemish  School  (Hugo  van  der  Goes?). 
Donor,  a  lady  in  a  nun's  dress  (?),  with  her 
name-saint,  St.  Barbara,  bearing  her  palm  as 
martyr :  in  the  background,  her  tower  with 
the  three  windows.  To  balance  it,  65,  Her 
brother  (?)  or  husbandj  with  his  patron,  St. 
James.     (Staff  and  scallop-shell.) 

Above  them,  good  portrait  of  Philip  II., 
of  the  later  transitional  period.  At  the  cor- 
ner, Adam  and  Eve,  showing  the  increased 
Italian  influence.  Compare  with  the  two  pre- 
vious stages  of  northern  nude  in  the  Van  Eyck 
and  the  Cranach.  Beside  it,  tolerable  Flemish 
portraits. 

Above,  84,  Triptych,  by  Jan  Coninxloo,  of 
the  History  of  St.  Nicholas.  (The  wings  are 
misplaced.)  Right  wing  (it  should  be  left), 
St.  Nicholas,  three  days  old,  stands  up  in  his 
bath  to  thank  God  for  having  brought  him 
into  the  world.     Central  panel,  the  young  St. 


246  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Nicholas  enthroned  as  Bishop  of  Myra.  Left 
wing  (should  be  right),  The  Death  of  St. 
Nicholas,  with  angels  standing  by  to  convey 
his  soul  to  Heaven,  A  good  transitional 
Flemish  picture.     Beneath,  tolerable  portraits. 

Near  this,  skied,  are  four  good  female 
saints,  transitional,  named  on  labels. 

355.  Sir  Anthony  More.  Portrait.  Above 
it,  an  Entombment,  where  note  again  the  con- 
ventional grouping. 

44A.  Wings  of  a  triptych  by  Bernard  van 
Orley.  The  centre  is  missing.  To  the  left, 
Martyrdom  of  St.  Matthias.  To  the  right, 
The  Doubting  Thomas.  In  the  background, 
Lazarus  and  Dives,  and  other  episodes.  Re- 
naissance architecture. 

155.  Van  Alsloot:  The  Procession  of  the 
Body  of  St.  Gudula  at  Brussels :  of  the  Span- 
ish period,  with  the  guilds  named.  Interest 
purely  archaeological.  Each  guild  carries  its 
mace  and  symbol.  (The  second  part  comes 
later.) 

Beyond  it 

46.  Portrait,  of  the  School  of  Van  Orley: 
lady  with  a  pink,  pleasing.  Italian  influence 
is  obvious. 


The    Brussels  Picture   Gallery    247 

489.  Portrait  of  a  lady,  by  M.  De  Vos. 
Early  seventeenth  century,  marking  the  latest 
transitional  period.  It  belongs  to  a  destroyed 
triptych. 

3A.  Bosch :  St.  Michael  the  Archangel 
conquering  the  devils,  A  hideous  nightmare 
of  a  morbid  and  disordered  imagination. 

488.  *  Portrait  by  M.  De  Vos.  Probably 
husband  of  (and  pendant  to)  the  previous  one. 
It  was  the  other  wing  of  the  same  triptych. 

45.  Very  Raphael esque  Holy  Family,  by 
Bernard  van  Orley,  showing  in  the  highest 
degree  the  Italian  influence  on  this  originally 
quite  Flemish  painter. 

Above  it,  92  and  92A.  Portraits  of  the 
Micault  family. 

156.  Van  Alsloot:  Remainder  of  the  Pro- 
cession of  St.  Gudula,  with  a  quaint  dragon, 
and  the  Maison  du  Roi  in  the  background. 
Observe,  near  the  centre,  the  personification 
of  the  patron,  St.  Michael :  elsewhere  are  St. 
Christopher,  Ste.  Gudule,  etc. 

44.  Two  panels  from  a  triptych  by  Van 
Orley.  Centre,  missing.  Left,  The  Birth  of 
the  Virgin.  Note  this  for  the  conventional 
features :   St.  Anne  in  bed ;  attendant  feeding 


248  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

her:  bath  for  infant.  In  the  background, 
Presentation  of  the  Virgin  in  the  Temple: 
Joachim  and  Anna  below :  the  Virgin  ascend- 
ing :  the  High  Priest  welcoming  her :  the 
Virgins  of  the  'Lord  by  the  side.  Right, 
Joachim's  offering  rejected.  In  the  back- 
ground, the  Meeting  of  Joachim  and  Anna 
at  the  Golden  Gate,  and  the  Angel  foretelling 
the  Birth  of  the  Virgin.  Compare  this  with 
the  great  Quentin  Matsys,  observing  especially 
the  money  falling  from  the  table. 

354.  Good  strong  portrait,  by  Sir  Anthony 
More,  of  Hubert  Goltzius. 

518.  Fine  German  portrait  of  the  early 
seventeenth  century. 

Above  it 

2.  Herri  met  de  Bles :  The  Temptation 
of  St.  Anthony.  Figures  and  landscape  show 
Italian  influence. 

Now  pass  through  Room  VIII.,  containing 
chiefly  late  Italian  and  French  pictures  (which 
neglect  for  the'present),  and  go  on  into  Corri- 
dor A,  to  the  left,  overlooking  the  Sculpture 
Gallery.  This  takes  us  at  once  into  the  Later 
Flemish  School  of  Rubens  and  his  followers, 
whose    works    fill    all    these    large   corridors, 


The  Brussels    Picture   Gallery    249 

which  are  admirably  adapted  for  them.  Begin 
to  the  right  of  the  door. 

315.  Jordaens:  Fine  landscape,  with  city 
to  the  right.  As  yet,  however,  landscape  dare 
not  stand  entirely  on  its  own  merits.  There- 
fore, we  have  here  in  the  foreground  figures 
of  Eleazar  and  Rebecca  at  the  well,  which  re- 
tain the  tradition  that  pictures  must  have 
some  sort  of  sacred  purpose. 

507.  Unknown.  Interior  of  a  picture  gal- 
lery, with  well-known  pictures. 

To  the  left  of  the  door.  475.  Van  Thul- 
den :  Flemish  Wedding  Feast.  Landscape  is 
beginning  to  triumph  now :  it  gets  rid  of  all 
pretence  of  sacredness,  but  still  retains  small 
figures  in  the  foreground.  Landscape  for 
landscape's  sake  is  hardly  yet  dreamed  of. 

24.  De  Crayer,  one  of  the  best  imitators 
of  Rubens :  *  Adoration  of  the  Shepherds,  in 
the  master's  manner. 

Near  it,  unnumbered,  Jordaens :  *  Nymph 
and  Satyr.  (This  corridor  is  largely  given 
up  to  works  by  Jordaens,  who  was  a  Prot- 
estant, and  preferred  heathen  mythological 
subjects  to  Catholic  Christian  ones.) 

447.    Snyders :  seventeenth  century :  *  Still 


^50  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Life,  which  now  begins  to  be  painted  on  its 
own  merits.  This  last  is  by  the  great  animal 
painter  of  the  Flemish  School. 

409.  Rubens :  **  Coronation  of  the  Virgin 
by  God  the  Father  and  the  Son,  the  Holy 
Ghost  hovering  above  in  a  glory.  This  altar- 
piece,  for  an  altar  of  Our  Lady,  is  a  magnifi- 
cent specimen  of  the  master's  rich  and  lumi- 
nous colouring.  The  crimson  robe  of  the 
Christ,  the  blue  and  lilac  harmony  on  the 
Madonna,  and  the  faint  yellow  of  the  Father's 
robe,  are  admirably  contrasted.  So  are  the 
darkness  of  the  lower  clouds  and  the  lumi- 
nosity of  the  upper  region,  recalling  Titian's 
famous  Assumption  at  Venice.  The  little 
boy-angels  are  sweet  and  characteristic.  Here 
you  may  begin  to  appreciate  the  force,  the 
dash,  the  lavish  wealth  of  Rubens.  (Accord- 
ing to  Rooses,  however,  the  work  of  a  pupil, 
touched  up  by  the  master.) 

275.     Good  Still  Life  by  Fyt. 

Then,  unnumbered,  Jordaens :  *  Susannah 
and  the  Elders:  a  very  Flemish  and  matronly 
Susannah.  The  nude  of  Rubens,  without  the 
glorious  touch  of  the  master:  but  a  good 
picture. 


The   Brussels   Picture   Gallery    251 

417.  Fine  *  portrait,  by  Rubens,  of  a  fair 
man  (J.  C.  de  Cordes). 

Then,  unnumbered,  Study  by  the  same  for 
the  ceiling  in  Whitehall. 

418.  Rubens :  *  Portrait :  Wife  of  the  last : 
in  his  finest  and  richest  portrait  manner,  which 
contrasts  in  many  ways  with  his  larger  and 
freer  allegorical  style.  (Fromentin  thinks 
poorly  of  it.) 

414.  Rubens:  An  unimpressive  little  Mar- 
tyrdom of  St.  Ursula, 

Above  it,  an  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  by 
Herreyns :  Interesting  only  as  showing  the 
persistence  of  the  School  into  the  eighteenth 
century. 

310.  Jordaens:  *  An  Allegory  of  Abun- 
dance. Studies  from  the  nude  in  the  style 
of  the  School :    meritorious. 

259.  Du  Chatel :  Quaint  little  portraits  of 
the  seventeenth  century. 

Pass  the  door  of  the  Dutch  School.  Beyond 
it,  more  Still  Life,  excellently  painted. 

311.  Jordaens :  Very  Flemish  *  family 
group,  with  a  somewhat  superfluous  satyr. 
(Subject  nominally  taken  from  the  fable  of 
the  Satyr  and  the  Wayfarer.) 


252  Belgium  :   Its    Cities 

344.  Vandermeulen :  View  of  Toumay  and 
landscape,  with  the  siege  by  Louis  XIV.  in- 
troduced for  the  sake  of  figures  in  the  fore- 
ground. 

Above  it,  De  Crayer :  St.  Anthony  and  St. 
Paul  the  Hermit.  Interesting  for  persistence 
of  the  typical  figures. 

The  other  pictures  in  this  corridor  are,  I 
think,  self-explanatory. 

Now  enter  Room  III.  to  the  left  of  the 
door. 

412.  Rubens:  **  Charming  little  Madonna 
and  Child  (called  "  Our  Lady  of  the  Forget- 
me-not  "),  in  a  garden  of  roses  (the  landscape 
by  J.  Brueghel).  One  of  his  best  small  pic- 
tures, in  a  careful  style. 

Still  Life,  by  Snyders.  In  the  comer,  four 
Fine  *  Heads  of  Negroes,  a  study  for  the 
Magi,  by  Rubens.  Not  caricatured,  but  full 
of  genuine  negro  character. 

220.  Good  portrait  by  Philippe  de  Cham- 
paigne. 

419.  Splendid  *  portrait  by  Rubens:  (ac- 
cording to  Rooses,  by  Van  Dyck). 

This  room  also  contains  several  fine  pictures 
by  Teniers    (father  or   son)    and  other   late 


The  Brussels   Picture   Gallery    253 

Flemish  painters,  deserving  of  attention,  but 
needing  no  explanation.  (Portraits,  picture 
gallery,  etc.)  Do  not  imagine  because  I  pass 
them  by  that  you  need  not  look  at  them. 

Now  enter  Corridor  B.  To  the  right  of  door, 
476.  A.  van  Utrecht :  One  of  the  favourite 
Dutch   kitchen   scenes,    well    painted. 

255.  Van  Diepenbeeck:  St.  Francis  pray- 
ing. 

Left  of  the  door,  good  works  by  De  Crayer 
and  others. 

339.     P.  Meert,  good  portraits. 

In  the  centre,  407,  Rubens :  **  Assumption, 
High  Altar-piece  from  the  Carmelite  Church 
in  Brussels.  A  fine  picture,  of  Rubens's  early 
period,  smooth  of  surface  and  relatively  care- 
ful, with  the  Apostles  looking  into  the  empty 
tomb,  whence  women  are  picking  roses  (See 
"Legends  of  the  Madonna").  To  the  right, 
the  youthful  figure  of  St.  Thomas,  stretching 
his  hands.  Observe  the  fine  contrast  of  colour 
between  the  lower  and  upper  portions.  This 
is  a  noble  specimen  of  the  master's  bold  and 
dramatic  treatment,  but  without  his  later  ease 
of  execution. 

265.      Van    Dyck    (the   greatest    pupil    of 


254  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Rubens,  leading  us  on  to  the  later  Dutch 
School).  *  St.  Francis  receiving  the  Stig- 
mata. From  the  Franciscan  Capuchin  Church 
in  Brussels. 

490.  *  Good  portraits,  by  C.  de  Vos,  o£ 
himself  and  his  family. 

264.  Companion  to  265.  Another  Fran- 
ciscan picture  by  Van  Dyck.  *  St.  Anthony 
of  Padua  holding  the  Infant  Jesus.  (In 
neither  is  he  seen  to  great  advantage.) 

239.  De  Crayer:  St.  Anthony,  with  his 
pig  and  staff,  and  St.  Paul  the  Hermit,  in  his 
robe  of  palm-leaves,  fed  by  a  raven.  In  the 
background,  the  Death  of  St.  Paul;  two  lions 
dig  his  grave.  On  the  right,  below,  late  figure 
of  donor,  seldom  so  introduced  at  this  period. 
Jay  in  the  background.     Good  landscape. 

Enter  Room  IV.,  with  landscapes  and  still 
life  of  the  later  period.  One  by  *  Rubens  near 
the  centre.  Good  *  family  group  of  the  Van 
Vilsteren  household,  by  Van  Dyck.  Flower- 
pieces  by  Seghers  and  others. 

266.  Fine  Van  Dyck,  **  portrait  of  an 
Antwerp  magistrate. 

The  room  also  contains  several  pictures 
worthy  of  note,  but  too  modern  in  tone  to 


The   Brussels   Picture  Gallery    255 

need  explanation.  Observe  that  landscape  has 
now  almost  vindicated  its  right  to  be  heard 
alone,  though  figures  in  the  foreground  are 
still  considered  more  or  less  necessary. 

Now  enter  Corridor  C,  which  contains  good 
pictures  of  the  Later  Flemish  School. 

482.  Otto  van  Veen  (Rubens's  master: 
of  whom  I  shall  say  more  at  Antwerp).  Holy 
Family,  with  St.  Francis,  left,  and  St.  Cath- 
erine, right  (Sword  and  Wheel).  The  Infant 
Christ  puts  the  ring  on  her  finger.  Influence 
of  Titian  obvious. 

Unnumbered,  Janssens:  Our  Lady  appear- 
ing to  St.  Bernard. 

Stag  Hunt  by  Snyders. 

411.  Rubens;  *  Martyrdom  of  the  local 
Bishop,  St.  Lieven.  His  tongue  is  torn  out 
and  given  to  dogs.  Very  savage  pagans; 
rearing  horse;  and  characteristic  angels,  with 
celestial  scene.  In  Rubens's  less  pleasing  "  alle- 
gorical "  manner.  Plenty  of  force,  but  too 
fiercely  bustling. 

Paul  de  Vos :  Horse  and  wolves.  Full  of 
spirit. 

415.  Rubens:  Fine  portrait  of  the  Arch- 
duke Albert. 


256  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

413.  Rubens  :  Venus  in  the  Forge  of  Vul- 
can. A  made-up  picture.  Splendid  studies  of 
the  exuberant  nude  by  Rubens;  with  effects 
of  Hght  and  shade  in  a  smithy,  added  in  the 
late  seventeenth  century  to  make  up  for  a  lost 
portion. 

416.  Rubens:  Companion  portrait  of  the 
Infanta  Isabella,  wife  of  415. 

406.  Rubens :  *  Painfully  un-Christian 
subject :  mainly  by  a  pupil,  re-touched  by  the 
master :  The  Saviour  about  to  destroy  the 
World,  which  is  protected  by  St.  Francis  and 
Our  Lady.  A  strange  method  by  which  a 
votary  seeks  to  impress  his  devotion  to  his  own 
patrons.     Behind,  burning  towns,  murder,  etc. 

405.  Rubens :  *  The  Way  to  Calvary. 
(Almost  all  these  large  Rubenses  are  from 
High  Altars.)  In  the  foreground  the  two 
thieves;  then  Christ  falling,  and  a  very  Flem- 
ish and  high-born  St.  Veronica  unconcernedly 
wiping  his  forehead.  Our  Lady  faints  close 
by,  supported  by  St.  John.  St.  Longinus 
mounted,  and  Roman  soldiers.  The  compo- 
sition somewhat  sketchy,  but  immensely  vigor- 
ous. A  gorgeous  pageant,  it  wholly  lacks 
pathos. 


The   Brussels    Picture    Gallery    257 

410.  Rubens :  **  Adoration  of  the  Magi 
(Altar-piece  of  the  Capuchin  Church  at  Tour- 
nay).  One  of  his  noblest  works,  magnificently 
and  opulently  coloured.  The  subject  was  one 
he  often  painted.  Note  still  the  Three  Kings, 
representing  the  three  ages  and  continents,  but, 
oh,  how  transfigured !  In  their  suite  are  Moors 
and  other  Orientals.  Behind,  St.  Joseph  with 
flambeaux,  representing  the  earlier  candle. 
This  is  a  painting  in  Rubens's  best  Grand  Sei- 
gneur manner  —  vast,  throbbing,  concentrated. 
He  thinks  of  a  Nativity  as  taking  place  with  all 
the  pomp  and  ceremony  of  the  courts  which  he 
frequented.  Charming  pages  in  the  fore- 
ground. 

Then  flowers,  hunting  scenes,  etc.,  requiring 
no  comment. 

408.  Rubens  (much  restored)  :  *  Christ 
on  the  knees  of  Our  Lady.  A  noble  composi- 
tion, greatly  injured.  In  the  foreground 
kneels  the  Magdalen  (her  hair  falling  ungrace- 
fully), with  the  nails  and  Crown  of  Thorns. 
Notice  always  her  abundant  locks.  To  the 
right,  St.  Francis,  with  the  Stigmata,  bends 
over  in  adoration  (a  Franciscan  picture).  To 
the  left,  very  fleshy  angels  (Antwerp  models) 


258  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

hold  the  instruments  of  the  Passion.  White 
sheet  and  dead  flesh  in  their  usual  strong  com- 
bination. (Painted  for  the  Franciscan  Capu- 
chins of  Brussels.) 

The  De  Crayers^  close  by,  contrast  in  the 
comparative  crudity  of  their  colour  with  the 
splendid  harmonies  of  the  master. 

236.  De  Crayer.  The  Martyrdom  of  St. 
Blaise.  Shows  him  combed  with  a  wool- 
carder. 

Now  pass  through  Room  VII.  (with  Italian 
pictures  to  be  considered  later)  and  enter 
Corridor  D.  Right  of  door,  nothing  that  re- 
quires comment,  save 

205.  Philip  de  Champaigne :  Presentation 
in  the  Temple,  with  characteristic  crude 
French  colouring. 

Left  of  door,  243,  De  Crayer :  Fraternity  of 
Crossbowmen,  with  their  patroness,  the  Ma- 
donna. 

158.  J.  D'Arthois:  Landscape,  now  abso- 
lutely emancipated  from  the  superstition  of 
figures. 

Right  and  left  of  central  door,  good  saints, 
by  De  Crayer.  Beneath  them,  excellent  land- 
scapes. 


The  Brussels   Picture   Gallery    259 

237.  De  Crayer :  *  Assumption  of  St.  Cath- 
erine, with  her  wheel  and  sword.  A  fine  pic- 
ture, in  which  De  Crayer  approaches  very  near 
Rubens.  In  the  foreground  are  St.  Augus^ 
tine  with  the  flaming  heart;  St.  Gregory, 
habited  as  Pope ;  St.  Ambrose,  and  St.  Jerome, 
—  the  four  Doctors  of  the  Church,  with  other 
saints,  contemplating  devoutly  the  glory  of 
St.  Catherine. 

The  remaining  pictures  in  this  room  can 
be  inspected  by  the  visitor  without  need  for 
explanation. 

It  is  interesting  to  stand  by  the  balustrade, 
here,  above  the  sculpture  gallery,  not  only 
for  the  general  outlook  upon  the  handsome 
hall,  but  also  to  note  how  the  colour  of  the 
Rubenses  stands  out  at  a  distance  among  the 
other  pictures. 

Now,  go  on  through  Room  VIII.  to  Corri- 
dor A,  reaching  on  the  left.  Room  V.,  contain- 
ing the  Dutch  Masters.  On  these,  for  the 
most  part,  I  shall  have  little  to  say.  Their 
landscapes,  flower-pieces,  and  portraits  are  ad- 
mirable, indeed,  but  they  are  of  the  sort  which 
explain  themselves  at  sight,  and  need  rather 
for    their    appreciation    critical    faculty    than 


26o  Belgium  :  Its   Cities 

external  knowledge.  Begin  on  the  left  of  the 
door, 

395.     Van  Ravestein,  capital  portrait. 

333B.  Nicolas  Maes:  Good  portrait  of  a 
seventeenth  century  lady. 

325.  Leerman's  Crucifixion,  finely  exe- 
cuted. 

Beyond  it,  good  landscape  or  flower-pieces, 
etc.,  by  Cuyp,  De  Heem,  and  Isaac  van  Ostade. 

456.    St.  Pierre  at  Louvain. 

483.  Van  der  Velde,  junior :  Shipping  on 
the  Zuyder  Zee.  The  Dutch  interest  in  the 
sea  begins  to  make  itself  felt. 

500.     Good  hunting  scene  by  Wouwerman. 

Near  it^  unnumbered  and  unnamed,  fine 
portrait  by  Van  der  Heist. 

33 1  c.  **  Admirable  figure  of  an  old 
woman  fallen  asleep  over  her  reading,  by 
Nicolas  Maes. 

333c.    *  Good  portrait  by  the  same. 

294.  Hobbema :  *  The  Wood  at  Haarlem. 
Characteristic  Dutch  landscape. 

33 IB.     *  Fine  portrait  by  Luttichuys.  ' 

184.  Bol :  *  Portrait  of  a  mathematician 
and  anatomist.  One  of  the  painter's  master- 
pieces. 


The   Brussels   Picture   Gallery    261 

346.  Beneath  it.  Van  Mieris:  Susannah 
and  the  Elders.     Frankly  anachronistic. 

308  is  a  fine  *  landscape  with  cattle,  by 
Karel  du  Jardin. 

424.  Excellent  *  sea  piece,  by  Jacob  Ruys- 
dael,  representing  the  Lake  of  Haarlem  in 
a  storm.    Good  foam. 

I  pass  by,  on  the  same  wall,  many  merito- 
rious Dutch  works  which  cannot  fail  to  strike 
the  observer. 

End  wall, 

181.  Admirable  *  portrait  by  Bol.  Near 
it,  good  still  life  and  flower-pieces. 

182.  Bol :  *  Portrait  of  a  lady,  probably 
wife  of  the  last.  On  either  side  350,  351, 
characteristic  tavern  scenes  by  Molinaer. 

Right  wall, 

261.  Similar  village  scene  of  a  Kermesse, 
by  Dusart. 

333.    Admirable  *  portrait  by  Nicolas  Maes. 

423.  One  of  Jacob  Ruysdael's  finest  land- 
scapes, with  ruined  tower. 

284.  Fruit  piece  by  De  Heem.  One  of  his 
finest. 

Unnumbered,  Brekelenkamp :  *  Seam- 
stresses,   with    high    lights    recalling    Gerard 


262  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

Dou.  Beyond  these,  a  number  of  fine  and 
characteristic  Dutch  landscapes  or  figure- 
pieces,  needing  Httle  comment. 

249.     Albert   Cuyp :    *  Cows.   Excellent. 

307.  *  Delicately  luminous  piece  by  Karel 
du  Jardin,  "  L' Avant-garde  du  Convoi." 

292A.  Portrait  by  Van  der  Heist.  Not  in 
his  best  manner. 

253-  Van  Delen :  Excellent  architectural 
piece,  with  good  *  portraits  in  the  foreground, 
painted  in  later  by  Emmanuel  Biset. 

258.  Gerard  Dou :  **  The  artist  drawing 
a  Cupid  by  lamplight.  One  of  his  finest  studies 
in  light  and  shade.  It  should  be  looked  at 
long  and  carefully. 

On  either  side  of  it,  delicate  small  pieces 
by  Steen,  A.  van  Ostade,  and  Dietrich. 

184A.    *  Good  portrait  by  Bol. 

333A.  *  Portrait  by  Maes.  Fine  and  auda- 
cious in  colouring.  Round  it,  good  Wouwer- 
mans  and  Ruysdaels. 

Do  not  imagine  because  I  give  little  space 
to  the  pictures  in  this  room  that  they  are  not 
therefore  important.  As  works  of  art,  many 
of  them  are  of  the  first  value;  but  they  do 
not  require  that  kind  of  explanation  which  it 


The  Brussels   Picture   Gallery    263 

is  the  particular  province  of  these  Guides  to 
afford. 

Now,  pass  through  the  small  passage  to 
Room  VI.,  containing  works  also  by  the  Dutch 
Masters,  the  finest  of  which  are  here  exhibited. 

Left  of  the  door, 

317  and  316.  De  Keyser:  Two  fine  por- 
traits of  women. 

496.     Excellent  still  life  by  Jan  Weenix. 

376.  Portraits  by  Palamedes,  arranged  as 
a  musical  party. 

Above  these,  unnumbered. 

Brakenburgh :    The  Pretty  Hostess. 

352.  Molyn  the  Elder:  Town  fete  by  night. 
Good  effect  of  light. 

177A.    Fruit  and  still  life,  by  Van  Beyeren. 

503.    Landscape,  by  Wynants. 

470A.  **  Exquisite  miniature  portrait,  by 
Ter  Burg,  which  should  be  inspected  closely. 

364A.  Van  der  Neer:  The  Burning  of 
Dordrecht.     A  lurid  small  piece. 

493.  A.  de  Voys:  The  Jolly  Drinker. 
Highly  characteristic  of  Dutch  sentiment. 

The  other  still  life  and  fruit  or  flower  pieces 
on  this  wall  need  no  comment. 

End  wall. 


264  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

495.  Weenix:  Dutch  lady  dressing,  with 
good  effects  of  Hght  and  colour. 

283.  Frans  Hals :  **  Portrait  of  W.  van 
Heythuysen.  One  of  his  finest  works. 
Broadly  executed,  and  full  of  dash  and 
bravado. 

343.  Metsu :  *  One  of  his  favourite  scenes 
between  an  officer  and  a  lady,  exquisitely 
painted.  A  light  lunch.  Look  closely  into 
it. 

498.  De  Witte:  Fine  architectural  church 
interior.    Above  it, 

295.  *  Peacock  and  other  birds,  by  Honde- 
coeter,  who  painted  almost  exclusively  similar 
subjects.  The  solitary  feather  in  the  fore- 
ground recalls  his  famous  masterpiece  at  The 
Hague, 

332.     Maes :    **  Old  woman  reading. 

Above  these,  tolerable  portraits  by  Van  der 
Heist. 

455.  *  One  of  Jan  Steen's  most  character- 
istic pieces  of  Batavian  humour.  A  Dutch 
lover  offering  affection's  gift,  in  the  shape  of 
a  herring  and  two  leeks,  to  a  lady  no  longer 
in  her  first  youth.  Behind,  her  unconscious 
husband.    The  painting  of  every  detail  is  full 


HALS.  —  PORTRAIT   OK    W.    VAN    HEYTHUYSEN. 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    265 

of  the  best  Dutch  merits,  and  the  tone  of  the 
whole  frankly  repulsive. 

Right  wall.  Several  excellent  bits  of  still 
life  or  landscape. 

282.  Frans  Hals :  **  Splendid  portrait  of 
Professor  Hoornebeck  of  Leyden.  Extremely 
vivacious  and  rapidly  handled. 

293A.  *  One  of  Hobbema's  most  famous 
mills. 

397A.     Excellent  portrait  by  Rembrandt. 

Above  it  166.  Storm  at  Sea,  by  Back- 
huysen. 

Unnumbered,  Paul  Potter :  *  Pigs.  Ad- 
mirably piggy. 

200A.  Van  der  Capelle:  Calm  sea,  with 
excellent  fishing-boats. 

End  wall, 

296.  More  of  Hondecoeter's  unimpeach- 
able *  poultry. 

397.  **  Splendid  portrait  by  Rembrandt 
("L'Homme  au  grand  chapeau").  An  ex- 
cellent and  characteristic  example  of  his  art. 
The  light  and  shade,  the  painting  of  the  hair, 
and  the  masterly  handling  of  the  robe  are  all 
in  the  great  painter's  noblest  manner. 


266  Belgium  :   Its    Cities 

425.  Capital  *  water  scene,  by  S.  van  Ruys- 
dael :  a  ferry  on  the  Meuse. 

297.  Hondecoeter.  More  poultry,  this  time 
dead,  with  realistic  nails,  and  other  little  tricks 
to  catch  the  great  public. 

183.  Bol :  **  Excellent  portrait  of  Saskia, 
wife  of  Rembrandt. 

452.  A  very  characteristic  and  excellent 
Jan  Steen,  known  as  *  The  Rhetoricians,  — 
that  is  to  say,  members  of  a  Literary  Club  or 
Debating  Society,  one  of  whom  is  engaged 
in  reading  his  prize  verses  to  a  not  too  appre- 
ciative audience  outside.  Even  here,  however, 
Jan  cannot  omit  his  favourite  touch  of  coarse 
Dutch  love-making,  with  a  tavern-girl  intro- 
duced out  of  pure  perversity. 

Now,  return  through  Corridors  A  and  D  to 
Room  VII.,  containing  the  early  Italian  pic- 
tures. Few  of  these  are  of  much  value,  and 
as  they  are  not  connected  with  Flanders  or 
Brabant,  I  will  not  enlarge  upon  them.  Right 
of  door, 

148.  An  early  Italian  Adoration  of  the 
Magi,  where  you  may  compare  the  Three 
Kings,  Joseph  with  the  gift,  the  ox  and  ass, 
etc.  J  with  Flemish  examples. 


The   Brussels   Picture  Gallery    267 

149  is  a  characteristic  example  of  St.  Fran- 
cis receiving  the  Stigmata.  Study  it  for  com- 
parison with  the  Rubens  at  Ghent,  and  others. 

147  is  a  set  of  panels  containing  events  in 
the  History  of  Our  Lady.  I  give  the  subjects, 
running  along  the  top  row  first,  with  nec- 
essary brevity:  Joadiim  expelled  from  the 
Temple ;  Warned  by  the  Angel ;  Anna  warned 
by  the  Angel;  Meeting  of  Joachim  and  Anna 
at  the  Golden  Gate;  Birth  of  the  Virgin; 
Presentation  of  the  Virgin  in  the  Temple; 
The  Nativity;  Adoration  of  the  Magi; 
Christ  found  in  the  Temple;  Miracle  at  Cana; 
Raising  of  Lazarus;  Death  of  the  Virgin, 
with  Christ  receiving  her  soul  as  a  new-bom 
baby.  All  these  may  be  studied  as  early  ex- 
amples of  the  subjects  they  represent.  Above 
them,  23  and  151 ;  two  Crucifixions  of  various 
ages. 

17.  Good  characteristic  Carlo  Crivelli  of 
St.  Francis  with  the  Stigmata. 

154.     Adam  and  Eve.    Albani. 

Above  it,  a  tolerable  Veronese  of  *  Juno 
scattering  wealth  into  the  lap  of  Venice,  St. 
Mark's  lion  beside  her. 

16.    Beautiful  Carlo  Crivelli  of  *  Our  Lady 


268  Belgium :   Its   Cities 

and  Child.  This  picture  and  No.  17  are  parts 
of  a  large  altar-piece,  the  main  portion  of 
which,  a  Pieta,  is  in  the  National  Gallery  in 
London. 

478.  Vannuchi  (not  Perugino)  :  Leda  and 
the  Swan. 

227  is  a  good  portrait  of  Mary  of  Austria. 

146A.     A  tolerable  Marriage  of  the  Virgin. 

401.  Tintoretto:  Portrait  of  a  Venetian 
gentleman. 

402.  Another  by  the  same. 

477.  Perugino :  Madonna  and  Child,  with 
the  infant  St.  John  of  Florence,  in  a  frame 
of  Delia  Robbia  work.  This  is  one  of  the 
best  Italian  pictures  in  this  Gallery,  but  not 
a  good  example.  Near  it,  School  of  Man- 
tegna,  Christ  and  St.  Thomas  with  St.  John 
the  Baptist. 

Room  VIII.,  opposite,  also  contains  later 
Italian  pictures,  with  a  few  French. 

400  is  a  Martyrdom  of  St.  Mark,  by  Tin- 
toretto. 

199  is  a  Holy  Family,  by  Paolo  Veronese, 
with  St.  Theresa  and  St.   Catherine. 

198.  By  the  same.  Adoration  of  the  Shep- 
herds. 


The  Brussels  Picture  Gallery    269 

The  other  works  in  the  room  do  not  call  for 
notice. 

If  you  want  further  information  about  the 
pictures  in  the  Brussels  Gallery,  you  will  find 
it  in  Lafenestre  and  Richtenberger's  "  La 
Belgique,"  in  the  series  of  "  La  Peinture  en 
Europe." 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

THE     CATHEDRAL     OF     BRUSSELS 

'TPHE  Cathedral  of  Brussels  is  dedicated  to 
-■-  St.  Gudula  or  Ste.  Gudule^  and  to  St. 
Michael  the  Archangel.  Ste.  Gudule  is  a  holy 
person  who  takes  us  back  to  the  earlier  ages 
of  Christianity  among  the  Middle  Franks. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  family  of  Pepin 
d'Heristal,  the  kinsman  of  Charlemagne,  and 
she  died  about  712.  She  became  a  nun  at 
Nivelles  under  her  aunt,  St.  Gertrude.  The 
only  fact  of  importance  known  as  to  her  life 
is  that  she  used  to  rise  early,  in  order  to  pay 
her  devotions  at  a  distant  church,  whither  she 
guided  her  steps  by  the  aid  of  a  lantern.  Satan 
frequently  extinguished  this  light,  desiring  to 
lead  her  feet  astray,  but  the  prayers  of  the 
saint  as  often  rekindled  it.  Hence  she  is 
usually  represented  carrying  a  lantern,  with 
270 


The  Cathedral  of  Brussels       271 

the  devil  beside  her,  who  endeavours  to  blow 
it  out. 

In  the  tenth  century,  the  body  of  Ste. 
Gudule  was  brought  to  Brussels  from  Morseel ; 
and  in  the  eleventh  (1047),  Lambert,  Count  of 
Louvain,  built  a  church  on  this  site  above  it: 
but  the  existing  building,  still  containing  the. 
body  of  the  saint,  was  not  begun  till  1220. 

More  important,  however,  than  Ste.  Gudule, 
in  the  later  history  of  Brussels  Cathedral,  is 
the  painful  mediaeval  incident  of  the  Stolen 
Hosts.  The  Jew-baiting  of  the  fourteenth 
century  led  to  a  story  that  on  Good  Friday, 
1370,  certain  impious  Jews  had  stolen  sixteen 
consecrated  Hosts  from  the  Cathedral,  and 
sacrilegiously  transfixed  them  with  knives  in 
their  synagogue.  The  Hosts  miraculously 
bled,  which  so  alarmed  the  Jews  that  they 
restored  them  to  the  altar.  Their  sacrilege 
was  discovered  by  the  aid  of  an  accomplice, 
and  on  this  evidence  several  Jews  were  burned 
alive,  and  the  rest  banished  from  Brabant  for 
ever.  A  chapel  on  the  site  of  the  synagogue 
still  commemorates  the  event,  and  the  Miracle 
of  the  Hosts  (as  it  is  called)  gives  rise  to 
several  works  of  art  now   remaining  in  the 


272  Belgium  :    Its    Cities 

Cathedral.  An  annual  ceremony  (on  the  Sun- 
day after  the  15th  of  July)  keeps  green  the 
memory  of  the  miraculous  bleeding :  the  iden- 
tical wafers  are  then  exhibited. 

Approach  the  Cathedral,  if  possible,  from 
the  direction  of  the  Grand'  Place.  It  is  built 
so  as  to  be  first  seen  from  this  side,  and 
naturally  turns  its  main  West  Front  toward 
the  older  city.  Go  to  it,  therefore,  by  the 
street  known  as  the  Rue  de  la  Montague  and 
the  short  (modem)  Rue  Ste.  Gudule,  which 
lead  straight  up  to  the  handsome  (recent) 
staircase  and  platform.  The  building  loses 
much  by  being  approached  sideways,  as  is 
usually  the  case,  from  the  Upper  Town,  which 
did  not  exist  at  all  in  this  direction  when  the 
Cathedral  was  built.  Consider  it  in  relation  to 
the  nucleus  in  the  valley. 

First  examine  the  exterior.  The  accom- 
panying rough  plan  will  sufficiently  explain 
its  various  portions. 

The  fagade  has  two  tall  towers,  and  a  rather 
low  gable-end,  with  large  West  Window.  In 
style,  it  approaches  rather  to  German  than  to 
French  Gothic.  Over  the  Principal  Entrance 
are    (restored)    figures    of   the   Trinity,    sur- 


FAgADE   OF  THE   CATHEDRAL,   BRUSSELS. 


The  Cathedral  of  Brussels      273 

rounded  by  angels,  with  the  Twelve  Apostles, 
each  bearing  his  symbol  or  the  instruments  of 
his  martyrdom.  Below,  on  the  central  pillar, 
the  Three  Magi,  the  middle  one  a  Moor.  High 
up  on  the  gable-end  is  the  figure  of  Ste. 
Gudule,  the  human  patron,  with  the  Devil 
endeavouring  to  extinguish  her  lantern. 
Above  her  is  the  other  and  angelic  patron, 
St.  Michael.  (These  two  figures  also  occur 
on  the  middle  of  the  carved  wooden  doors.) 
At  the  sides,  two  bishops,  probably  St.  Gery 
and  St.  Amand.  Though  the  sculpture  is 
modern,  it  is  of  interest  from  the  point  of 
view  of  symbolism.  The  left  portal  has  St. 
Joachim,  St.  Anne,  and  the  education  of  the 
Virgin.  The  right  portal  has  St.  Joseph  and 
Our  Lady  with  the  Divine  Infant. 

Now,  go  round  the  building  to  the  right, 
to  observe  its  arrangement.  You  pass  first  the 
chapels  or  bays  of  the  south  aisle,  with 
weather-beaten  sculpture,  and  then  reach  the 
slightly  projecting  south  transept.  Beyond 
the  south  portal,  the  choir  is  hidden  by  the 
addition  of  a  large  projecting  chapel  (that 
of  Notre-Dame  de  Delivrance),  whose  archi- 
tecture will   be  better  understood  from  the 


274  Belgium  :    Its    Cities 

interior.  At  the  east  end,  you  get  a  good 
view  of  the  Gothic  choir  and  apse,  with  its 
external  chapels  and  flying  buttresses.  The 
extreme  East  point  is  occupied  by  the  ugly 
little  hexagonal  rococo  Chapel  of  the  Mag- 
dalen, a  hideous  addition  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  Still  passing  round  in  the  same 
direction,  you  arrive  at  a  second  projecting 
chapel  (du  Saint  Sacrement),  which  balances 
the  first.  The  best  general  view  is  obtained 
from  the  north  side,  taking  in  the  beautiful 
porch  of  the  north  transept.  (The  handsome 
Louis  XVI.  building  opposite  is  the  Banque 
Nationale.) 

Visit  the  interior  between  twelve  and  four, 
when  the  doors  are  closed,  but  will  be  opened 
for  you  by  a  sacristan  in  the  south  portal,  at 
a  charge  of  fifty  centimes  per  head.  You  will 
then  be  able  to  inspect  the  whole  place  peace- 
ably at  your  leisure.    Take  your  opera-glasses. 

The  Cathedral  as  an  interior  is  disappoint- 
ing. It  contains  no  pictures  of  any  importance, 
and  its  architecture  is  less  striking  within  than 
without.  The  stained  glass,  indeed,  is  famous ; 
none  of  it,  however,  is  mediaeval.  The  best 
windows  date  only   from  the  High   Renais- 


The   Cathedral    of  Brussels      275 


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o 

J 

■^  o 

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CO   O 

< 

QC 
O 


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ox 

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o  <" 


PLATFORM 


276  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

sance;  the  remainder  are  seventeenth  century 
or  modern. 

Walk  first  into  the  centre  of  the  church, 
where  you  can  gain  a  good  idea  of  the  high 
choir,  with  its  apse  and  triforium  of  graceful 
Early  Gothic  architecture,  as  well  as  of  the 
short  transepts,  the  two  additional  chapels, 
right  and  left,  the  nave  and  single  aisles,  and 
the  great  west  window. 

Now,  begin  the  tour  of  the  church  with  the 
south  aisle,  to  the  left  as  you  enter.  The  glass 
here  is  modern.  It  represents  the  story  of  the 
Stolen  Hosts,  some  of  the  subjects  being  dif- 
ficult to  decipher.  We  see  the  Jew  bribing 
a  Christian,  who  removes  the  Hosts  in  a 
monstrance:  then  the  Christian  departing 
from  the  Jewish  Synagogue  with  his  ill- 
gotten  gains.  The  third  window  I  do  not 
understand.  After  that,  we  see  the  Jews  be- 
trayed by  one  of  their  number;  the  Miracle 
of  the  Blood,  with  their  horror  and  astonish- 
ment ;  the  Recovery  of  the  Hosts ;  and  in  the 
north  aisle,  their  Return  to  the  Church  in 
procession,  and  the  various  miracles  after- 
ward wrought  by  them.  I  cannot  pretend 
to  have  deciphered  all  these  accurately.     The 


VERBRUGGEN. —  PULPIT    IN    THE    CATHEDRAL,    BRUSSELS. 


The   Cathedral  of  Brussels      277 

nave  has  the  usual  Flemish  figures  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles  set  against  the  piers,  most 
of  them  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The 
great  west  window  has  the  Last  Judgment, 
by  Floris,  a  poor  composition,  overcrowded 
with  indistinguishable  figures. 

The  pulpit,  by  Verbruggen,  is  one  of  the 
usual  unspeakable  abominations  of  seventeenth 
century  wood-carving.  Below  are  Adam  and 
Eve  driven  from  Paradise:  above,  on  the 
canopy,  the  Virgin  and  Infant  Saviour  wound 
the  serpent's  head  with  the  cross :  the  Tree  of 
Life,  supporting  the  actual  platform,  gives 
shelter  to  incredible  birds  and  animals.  This 
ugly  object  was  made  for  the  Jesuits'  Church 
at  Louvain,  and  given  to  the  Cathedral  by 
Maria  Theresa  on  the  suppression  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Jesus. 

Return  to  the  transepts.  The  window  in 
the  north  transept  represents  Charles  V.,  kneel- 
ing, attended  by  his  patron,  Charlemagne,  who 
was  a  canonized  saint,  but  who  bears  the  sword 
and  orb  of  empire.  Behind  him,  Charles's 
wife,  Isabella,  with  her  patroness,  St.  Elizabeth 
of  Hungary,  holding  the  crown.  This  win- 
dow, erected  in  1538,  from  designs  by  Bernard 


278  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

van  Orley,  was  the  gift  of  the  Emperor.  That 
in  the  south  transept  represents  the  Holy 
Trinity,  with  King  Louis  of  Hungary  kneel- 
ing in  adoration,  attended  by  his  patron,  St. 
Louis  of  France.  Behind  him  is  his  Queen, 
Marie  (sister  of  Charles  V.),  with  her  patron, 
the  Blessed  Virgin.  This  window  also  is  by 
Van  Orley. 

Now,  enter  the  chapel  by  the  north  tran- 
sept, that  of  the  Holy  Sacrament,  erected 
in  1535 — 39,  in  honour  of  the  Miraculous 
(Stolen)  Hosts,  which  are  still  preserved 
here,  and  which  are  carried  in  procession  an- 
nually on  the  Sunday  following  the  15th  of 
July.  The  windows  in  this  chapel,  each  of 
which  bears  its  date  above,  were  placed  in  it 
immediately  after  its  erection,  and  are  the  best 
in  the  Cathedral.  They  exhibit  the  style  of 
the  Transitional  Renaissance.  Each  window 
shows,  above,  the  story  of  the  Stolen  Hosts, 
with,  below,  the  various  donors  and  their  pa- 
trons. First  window  as  you  enter :  Above, 
the  Bribery:  below,  King  John  IH.  of  Por- 
tugal with  his  patron,  St.  John-Baptist;  and 
Queen  Catherine,  his  wife  (sister  of  Charles 
v.),  with  her  patron,  St.  Catherine,  holding 


The   Cathedral  of  Brussels      279 

her  sword  of  martyrdom  and  trampling  on  the 
tyrant  Maximin  (all  by  Michael  Coxde). 
Second  window :  above,  the  Hosts  insulted 
in  the  Synagogue:  below,  Louis  of  Hungary, 
with  his  patron,  St.  Louis;  and  Marie,  his 
wife  (sister  of  Charles  V.),  with  her  patron- 
ess, Our  Lady  (Coxcie).  Third  window: 
above,  same  subject  as  in  the  third  of  the 
south  aisle  —  perhaps  the  attack  on  the  Jews : 
below,  Francis  L  of  France,  with  his  patron, 
St.  Francis,  receiving  the  Stigmata;  behind 
him,  Eleonora,  his  wife  (sister  of  Charles  V.), 
with  her  patroness,  St.  Helena  (Bernard  van 
Orley).  Fourth  window:  above.  Denuncia- 
tion of  the  Jews :  below,  Ferdinand,  brother 
of  Charles  V.,  with  his  patron,  St.  Ferdinand; 
and  his  wife,  Anne,  with  her  patron,  St.  Anna 
(Bernard  van  Orley).  The  end  window  rep- 
resents the  Adoration  of  the  Holy  Sacra- 
ment, and  of  the  Lamb  that  was  slain,  in  a 
composition  suggested  by  the  Van  Eyck  at 
Ghent.  Below,  to  the  left  are  an  Emperor 
and  Empress  (Charles  V.  and  Isabella),  a 
king  and  queen,  and  other  representatives  of 
the  world  secular :  to  the  right  are  a  pope, 
a  cardinal,  bishops,  prophets,  and  other  rep- 


28o  Belgium :   Its   Cities 

resentatives    of    the    church    or    the    world 
ecclesiastical. 

Now,  proceed  to  the  opposite  chapel,  by  the 
south  transept,  that  of  Our  Lady  of  Deliver- 
ance (Notre-Dame  de  Delivrance).  This 
chapel  was  erected  in  1649 — 53'  to  balance 
that  in  the  north  transept.  Its  windows,  made 
after  designs  by  Van  Thulden,  in  1656,  rep- 
resent the  continued  decadence  of  the  art  of 
glass-painting.  The  subjects  are  taken  from 
the  History  of  Our  Lady,  above,  with  the 
donors  and  their  patrons,  princes  of  the  House 
of  Austria,  below.  Unlike  the  last,  the  sub- 
jects here  begin  at  the  inner  end,  near  the  altar. 
First  window :  the  Presentation  of  Our  Lady 
in  the  Temple.  She  mounts  the  steps  to  the 
High  Priest:  below  are  St.  Joachim  and  St. 
Anna,  Second  window :  The  Marriage  of  the 
Virgin.  Third  window :  The  Annunciation, 
with  the  Angel  Gabriel  and  the  Dove  descend- 
ing in  a  glory.  Fourth  window :  The  Visi- 
tation of  Mary  to  Elizabeth :  the  figure  of 
Mary,  in  its  odd  hat,  taken  from  the  Rubens 
in  Antwerp  Cathedral.  The  Austrian  Princes 
and  Princesses  below,  in  the  insipid  taste  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  have  commemorated 


The  Cathedral  of  Brussels      281 

their  own  names  so  legibly  on  the  bases  that 
I  need  not  enumerate  them. 

Now,  return  to  the  north  transept,  to  make 
the  tour  of  the  ambulatory.  At  the  entrance 
to  the  apse,  left,  is  a  colossal  statue  of  the 
patroness,  Ste.  Gudule,  with  the  Devil  under 
her  feet.  The  stained  glass  of  the  apse  is  good 
modern.  Notice  the  fine  pillars  to  your  right. 
The  hexagonal  rococo  Chapel  of  St.  Mary 
Magdalen,  at  the  end  of  the  apse,  has  modern 
windows  of,  left  and  right,  the  two  patrons, 
and  St.  Michael  and  St.  Gudula,  the  latter  with 
the  lantern  and  Devil :  andj  Centre,  the 
Trinity.  Exit  from  the  apse:  left,  gilded 
statue  of  the  other  patron,  St.  Michael,  to  bal- 
ance the  St.  Gudula.  Beside  it,  curious 
wooden  Easter  Sepulchre,  with  Nicodemus, 
Joseph  of  Arimathea,  the  Mater  Dolorosa,  and 
the  Maries.  Above  it,  the  Risen  Christ,  with 
Roman  soldiers  on  the  pediment.  Fine  view 
from  near  this  point  of  the  Choir  and  Tran- 
septs. 

The  high  choir  has  in  its  apse  stained-glass 
windows  (use  your  opera-glass),  representing 
Our  Lady,  and  the  patron  saints,  with  various 
kings  and  queens  in  adoration  (middle  of  the 


282  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

sixteenth  century).  The  portraits  are  (i) 
Maximilian  and  Mary  of  Burgundy:  (2) 
Philippe  le  Beau,  their  son,  with  his  wife, 
Johanna  the  Mad,  of  Castile:  (3)  Charles  V. 
and  his  brother  Ferdinand,  sons  of  Phillipe: 
(4)  Philip  11.  of  Spain,  son  of  Charles  V., 
with  his  second  wife.  The  architecture  here 
is  Early  Gothic  and  interesting. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


THE    UPPER    TOWN 


"PROM  the  Grand'  Place,  two  main  lines 
-■-  of  streets  lead  toward  the  Upper  Town. 
The  first,  which  we  have  already  followed, 
runs  straight  to  the  Cathedral;  the  second, 
known  as  the  Rue  de  la  Madeleine  and  then 
as  the  Montague  de  la  Cour,  mounts  the  hill 
to  the  Place  Royale. 

The  city  of  the  merchants  lay  about  the 
H6tel-de-Ville,  the  Senne^  and  the  old  navi- 
gation. The  town  and  the  court  of  the  Counts 
of  Louvain  and  Dukes  of  Brabant  clustered 
about  the  Castle  on  the  high  ground  over- 
looking the  Lower  City.  On  this  hill,  the 
Caudenberg,  the  Counts  of  Louvain  built 
their  first  palace,  close  to  what  is  now  the  Place 
Royale.  Their  castle  was  burnt  down  in  1731, 
but  the  neighbourhood  has  ever  since  been  the 
seat  of  the  Belgian  court  for  the  time  being  — 
283 


284  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Burgnndian,  Austrian,  Dutch,  or  Coburger. 
All  this  quarter,  however,  has  been  so  greatly- 
altered  by  modern  "  improvements "  that 
scarcely  a  relic  of  antiquity  is  now  left  in  it, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  mediaeval  churches. 
In  spite  of  the  competition  of  the  Central 
or  Inner  Boulevards,  the  Montague  de  la  Cour, 
which  mounts  directly  from  the  Grand'  Place 
to  the  Cour  (the  residence  of  the  Dukes  or 
afterward  of  the  Emperors  and  the  Austrian 
Viceroys),  still  remains  the  principal  street 
for  shopping  in  Brussels.  It  takes  one 
straight  into  the  Place  Royale,  one  of  the  finest 
modern  squares  in  Europe,  occupying  in  part 
the  site  of  the  old  Castle.  Its  centre  is  filled 
by  the  famous  *  statue  of  Godfrey  de  Bouillon 
by  Simonis :  the  great  Crusader  is  represented 
on  horseback,  waving  his  banner,  and  crying 
his  celebrated  cry  of  "  Dieu  le  veut !  "  The 
unimpressive  Church,  with  Corinthian  pillars, 
a  crude  fresco  in  the  pediment,  and  a  green 
cupola,  which  faces  you  as  you  enter,  is  St. 
Jacques  sur  Caudenberg.  To  right  and  left 
you  open  up  vistas  of  the  Rue  de  la  Regence 
and  the  Rue  Royale.  The  former  is  closed  by 
the  huge  mass  of  the  new  Palais  de  Justice. 


The  Upper  Town  285 

The  latter  ends  in  the  great  domed  church  of 
Ste.  Marie  de  Schaerbeck. 

In  order  to  gain  a  proper  conception  of  the 
Upper  Town,  one  of  the  best-arranged  in 
Europe,  you  must  take  the  Place  Royale  and 
the  Ancienne  Cour  (just  below  it)  as  your 
starting-point.  The  Place,  the  Park,  and  the 
streets  about  them  were  all  laid  out,  under 
Austrian  rule,  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
century  (1774)  by  the  architect  Guimard,  who 
thus  made  Brussels  into  the  handsome  town 
we  now  see  it.  Turning  to  the  right  from  the 
Place  Royale,  toward  the  Rue  de  la  Regence, 
you  come  first  to  the  gateway  of  a  courtyard, 
guarded  by  sentinels.  Disregarding  these, 
push  past  them  into  the  court  as  if  the  place 
belonged  to  you.  The  quadrangle  you  have 
entered  is  the  site  of  the  old  Palace  of  the 
Dukes  of  Brabant,  for  which  the  present  build- 
ing, known  as  the  Ancienne  Cour,  was  substi- 
tuted by  the  Austrian  Stadtholders  in  1731 
after  the  great  fire.  The  first  building  to  your 
left  is  occupied  by  the  Royal  Museum  and 
Library.  The  portion  of  the  building  at  the 
end  of  the  court,  in  a  semicircular  recess,  con- 
tains the  Modern  Picture  Gallery  (open  daily 


286  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

from  ten  to  four,  free).  In  this  gallery  are 
collected  the  chief  works  of  the  modern  Bel- 
gian School  of  Painters,  which  the  tourist 
should  not  omit  to  study,  but  a  full  description 
of  which  lies  wholly  outside  the  scope  of  these 
Guide  Books. 

This  modern  Belgian  School  was  started  in 
Antwerp,  after  the  Revolution  of  1830.  It  an- 
swered at  first  to  the  romantic  movement  in 
France  (headed  by  Delaroche,  Gericault,  and 
others),  but  the  Belgian  painters  dealt  mainly 
in  historical  pictures  drawn  from  the  struggles 
for  liberty  in  their  own  country.  The  most 
distinguished  of  these  "  romantic "  Belgian 
artists  were  Louis  Gallait  and  Edouard  de 
Biefve,  whose  chief  national  works  are  to  be 
seen  in  this  gallery.  Though  they  belong  to 
a  type  which  now  strikes  us  as  mannered  and 
artificial,  not  to  say  insipid,  they  may  help  to 
impress  historical  facts  on  the  spectator's 
memory.  A  very  different  side  of  the  national 
movement  will  meet  us  at  Antwerp.  The  later 
Belgian  School  has  been  gradually  swamped 
by  Parisian  tendencies. 

Returning  to  the  Place  Royale,  and  con- 
tinuing along  the  Rue  de  la  Regence,  the  first 


The  Upper  Town  2%y 

building  on  the  left  closed  with  a  grille  is  the 
Palace  of  the  Comte  de  Flandre.  Nearly  op- 
posite it  (with  four  granite  pillars)  is  the 
Palais  des  Beaux-Arts,  containing  the  Ancient 
Pictures  (already  noticed).  Further  on  to  the 
right  we  arrive  at  the  church  of  Notre-Dame- 
des-Victoires  ("  Eglise  du  Sablon"),  to  be 
described  in  detail  hereafter.  The  pretty  and 
coquettish  little  garden  on  the  left  is  the  Square 
or  Place  du  Petit  Sablon.  It  contains  a  modem 
monument  to  Counts  Egmont  and  Hoorn,  the 
martyrs  of  Belgian  freedom,  by  Fraikin,  and 
is  worth  a  visit.  The  little  statuettes  on  the 
parapet  of  the  square  represent  artisans  of  the 
old  Guilds  of  Brussels.  The  building  at  the 
back  of  the  Place  is  the  Palace  of  the  Duke 
d'Arenberg:  its  central  part  was  Count  Eg- 
mont's  mansion  (erected  1548).  Further  on, 
to  the  left,  come  the  handsome  building  of  the 
Conservatoire  de  Musique  and  then  the  Jewish 
Synagogue.  The  end  of  the  street  is  blocked 
by  the  gigantic  and  massive  fagade  of  the  new 
Palais  de  Justice,  one  of  the  hugest  buildings 
of  our  period,  imposing  by  its  mere  colossal 
size  and  its  almost  Egyptian  solidity,  but  not 


288  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

architecturally    pleasing.      The   interior    need 
not  trouble  you. 

Northward  from  the  Place  Royale,  again, 
stretches  the  Rue  Royale,  along  which,  as  we 
walk,  we  have  ever  before  us  the  immense  gilt 
dome  of  Ste.  Marie  de  Schaerbeck.  This  fine 
street  was  admirably  laid  out  in  1774  by  the 
architect  Guimard,  who  was  the  founder  of 
the  modern  plan  of  Brussels.  It  is  a  fine  prom- 
enade, along  the  very  edge  of  the  hill, 
beautifully  varied,  and  affording  several 
attractive  glimpses  over  the  earlier  town  by 
means  of  breaks  in  the  line  of  houses,  left  on 
purpose  by  Guimard,  some  of  which  have, 
however,  been  unfortunately  built  up.  Start- 
ing from  the  Place  Royale,  we  have  first,  on 
our  right,  the  Hotel  Bellevue;  beyond  which, 
round  the  comer,  facing  the  Park,  extends  the 
unprepossessing  white  fagade  of  the  King's 
Palace  (eighteenth  century,  rebuilt).  Then, 
again  on  the  right,  we  arrive  at  the  pretty 
little  Park,  laid  out  by  Guimard  in  1774,  on 
the  site  of  the  old  garden  of  the  Dukes  of 
Brabant.  This  is  a  pleasant  lounging-place, 
animated  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  band 
plays.      It   contains   ponds,   sculpture,   nurse- 


The  Upper  Town  289 

maids,    children,    and    one    of    the    principal 
theatres. 

Continuing  still  northward,  we  pass  the 
Statue  of  Belliard,  in  the  first  break,  and  then 
the  Montague  du  Pare,  on  the  left,  leading 
direct  to  the  Lower  Town.  At  the  end  of  the 
Park,  the  Rue  de  la  Loi  runs  to  the  right,  east- 
ward, toward  the  Exhibition  Buildings.  The 
great  block  of  public  offices  in  this  street,  fac- 
ing the  Park,  includes  the  Chamber  of  Repre- 
sentatives (Palais  de  la  Nation)  and  the 
principal  Ministries.  Beyond  these  we  get, 
on  the  left,  a  glimpse  of  the  Cathedral,  and  on 
the  right  a  number  of  radiating  streets  which 
open  out  toward  the  fashionable  Quartier 
Leopold.  Then^  on  the  left,  we  arrive  at  the 
Place  du  Congres  with  its  Doric  column, 
commemorating  the  Congress  which  ratified 
the  Independence  in  183 1.  It  has  a  hundred 
and  ninety-three  spiral  steps,  and  can  be 
ascended  for  the  sake  of  its  admirable  *  view, 
the  best  general  outlook  to  be  obtained  over 
Brussels.  (A  few  sous  should  be  given  to  the 
guardian.)  The  prospect  from  the  summit 
(morning  light  best)  will  enable  you  to 
identify   every  principal  building  in   the  city 


290  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

(good  map  by  Kiessling,  72,  Montagne  de  la 
Cour). 

Continuing  our  route,  the  street  to  the  right 
leads  to  the  little  Place  de  la  Liberte.  Beyond 
this,  the  Rue  Royale  goes  on  to  the  Outer 
Boulevards,  and  finally  ends  at  Ste.  Marie  de 
Schaerbeck,  a  gigantic  modern  Byzantine 
church,  more  splendid  than  beautiful,  but  a 
good  termination  for  an  afternoon  ramble. 

The  Outer  Boulevards  of  Brussels,  which 
ring  round  the  original  fourteenth  century 
city,  have  now  been  converted  into  magnificent 
promenades,  planted  with  trees,  and  supplied 
with  special  lanes  for  riders.  These  Boule- 
vards, perhaps  the  handsomest  in  the  world, 
replace  the  ancient  walls^  erected  in  1357 — 
1379,  when  the  town  had  already  reached 
such  considerable  limits.  Most  of  what  is  in- 
teresting or  important  in  Brussels  is  still  to  be 
found  within  the  irregular  pentagonal  ring 
of  the  Boulevards.  A  pleasant  way  of  seeing 
the  whole  round  is  to  take  the  electric  tram, 
from  the  Gare  du  Nord,  by  the  Upper  Boule- 
vards, to  the  Gare  du  Midi.  You  first  mount 
the  steep  hill,  with  the  Botanical  Gardens  on 
your  left,  backed  by  the  extensive  hothouses. 


The  Upper  Town  291 

The  line  then  crosses  the  Rue  Royale,  looking 
on  the  left  toward  Ste.  Marie  de  Schaerbeck, 
and  on  the  right  toward  the  Place  Royale. 
As  you  turn  the  corner,  you  have  on  your 
left  a  small  triangular  garden,  and  on  your 
right  the  circular  Place  des  Barricades,  with 
a  statue  of  the  great  anatomist  Vesalius, 
physician  to  Charles  V.,  and  an  indirect  victim 
of  the  Inquisition.  The  rail  then  bends  round 
the  Boulevard  du  Regent,  with  glimpses  (to 
the  right)  of  the  Park,  and  (to  the  left)  of 
the  Squares  in  the  Quartier  Leopold.  You 
next  pass,  on  the  right,  the  Palais  des 
Academies  in  its  neatly  kept  garden,  beyond 
which  you  arrive  at  the  private  gardens  of  the 
Royal  Palace  and  the  Place  du  Trone.  Hence 
you  continue  to  the  Place  de  Namur  and  the 
Fontaine  de  Brouckere,  and  continue  on  to  the 
Place  Louise,  at  which  point  the  open  Avenue 
Louise  leads  direct  to  the  pleasant  Bois  de  la 
Cambre.  The  Boulevard  de  Waterloo  carries 
you  on  to  the  Porte  de  Hal,  the  only  one  of  the 
old  gateways  still  standing.  This  is  a  massive 
fortress  of  irregular  shape,  built  in  1381,  and 
it  was  used  by  the  Spanish  authorities  in  the 
time  of  Alva  as  the  Bastille  of  Brussels.    The 


292  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

interior  (open  free,  daily)  contains  a  fine  wind- 
ing staircase  and  a  small  collection  of  arms 
and  armour,  with  a  little  Ethnographical 
Museum,  which  is  worth  ten  minutes'  visit 
in  passing.  Hence,  the  Boulevard  du  Midi 
conducts  you  straight  to  the  Gare  du  Midi, 
from  which  point  you  can  return,  on  foot  or 
by  tram,  through  the  Inner  Boulevards  or 
diagonally  through  the  old  town,  to  your  hotel. 

The  remaincier  of  the  Outer  Boulevards, 
leading  from  the  Gare  du  Midi  to  the  Gare 
du  Nord  by  the  western  half  of  the  town,  is 
commonly  known  as  the  Lower  Boulevards, 
(Note  the  distinction  of  Upper,  Lower,  and 
Inner.)  It  passes  through  a  comparatively 
poor  quarter,  and  is  much  less  interesting  than 
the  other  half.  The  only  objects  of  note  on  its 
circuit  are  the  slaughter-houses  and  the  basins 
of  the  canal.  Nevertheless,  a  complete  tour 
of  the  Boulevards,  Upper,  Lower,  and  Inner, 
will  serve  to  give  you  a  better  general  concep- 
tion of  Brussels  within  the  old  walls  than  you 
can  otherwise  obtain. 

I  cannot  pretend  in  this  Guide  to  point  out 
all  the  objects  of  interest  in  Modern  Brussels, 
within  this  great  ring.      Speaking  generally, 


The  Upper  Town  293 

the  reader  will  find  pleasant  walks  for  spare 
moments  in  the  quarter  between  the  Rue 
Royale  or  the  Rue  de  la  Regence  and  the  Up- 
per Boulevards.  This  district  is  high,  healthy, 
and  airy,  and  is  chiefly  given  over  to  official 
buildings.  On  the  other  hand,  the  quarter 
between  these  two  streets  and  the  Inner  Boule- 
vards, especially  southward  about  the  Place  St. 
Jean  and  the  Rue  de  I'Etuve,  leads  through 
some  interesting  portions  of  seventeenth  cen- 
tury and  eighteenth  century  Brussels,  with 
occasional  good  domestic  architecture.  The 
district  lying  west  of  the  Inner  Boulevards  is 
of  little  interest,  save  in  its  central  portion  al- 
ready indicated.  It  is  the  quarter  of  docks, 
entrepots,  and  the  more  squalid  side  of  whole- 
sale business. 

The  immense  area  of  Brussels  outside  the 
Outer  Boulevards  I  cannot  pretend  to  deal 
with.  Pleasant  walks  may  be  taken  at  the  east 
end  of  the  town  about  the  Chaussee  de 
Louvain,  the  Square  Marie-Louise,  the  Ex- 
hibition Grounds,  the  Pare  Leopold  (near 
which  is  the  too  famous  Musee  Wiertz),  and 
the  elevated  land  in  the  eastern  quarter  gen- 
erally.   The  Bois  de  la  Cambre,  the  true  park 


294  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

of  Brussels,  makes  a  delightful  place  to  walk 
or  drive  in  the  afternoon,  especially  on  Sun- 
days. It  somewhat  resembles  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne,  but  is  wilder  and  prettier.  Perhaps 
the  most  satisfactory  way  of  visiting  it  is  to 
take  the  tram  to  the  gate  of  the  wood,  and 
then  walk  through  it. 

There  are  three  other  churches,  beside  the 
Cathedral,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Place 
Royale,  which  you  may  go  to  see,  if  you  have 
plenty  of  time  left,  but  which  you  need  not 
otherwise  trouble  about.  The  three  can  be 
easily  combined  in  a  single  short  round. 

Go  down  the  Montague  du  Pare,  and  take 
the  first  turning  to  the  left.  Rue  des  Douze 
Apotres,  which  will  bring  you  direct  to  the 
little  Chapelle  de  I'Expiation,  erected  in  1436, 
on  the  site  of  the  synagogue  where  the  Stolen 
Hosts  were  profaned^  and  in  expiation  of  the 
supposed  crime.  The  exterior  of  the  building 
has  been  modernized,  and  indeed  the  whole 
is  of  little  interest,  save  in  connection  with 
the  Cathedral  and  the  Stolen  Hosts;  but  a 
glance  inside  is  not  undesirable.  The  interior, 
flamboyant  Gothic,  is  thoroughly  well  dec- 
orated   throughout,    in    modern    polychrome, 


The  Upper  Town  295 

with  scenes  from  the  Gospel  History.  The 
apse  has  good  modem  stained-glass  windows, 
and  frescoes  of  angels  holding  the  instruments 
of  the  Passion.  It  is  separated  from  the  nave 
by  a  high  rood-loft,  without  a  screen.  Modem 
taste  has  here  almost  entirely  ignored  the  pain- 
ful and  malicious  story  of  the  Stolen  Wafers. 
Now,  continue  down  the  Rue  des  Sols  as 
far  as  the  Rue  de  I'lmperatrice  (where  a  slight 
detour  to  the  right  takes  you  in  front  of  the 
Universite  Libre,  a  large  and  somewhat  im- 
posing, but  uninteresting  building).  Con- 
tinue rather  to  the  left  down  the  Rue  de  I'lm- 
peratrice, crossing  the  Montague  de  la  Cour, 
into  the  Rue  de  TEmpereur  and  the  Rue  d'Or, 
till  you  arrive  at  the  Place  de  la  Chapelle, 
containing  the  church  of  Notre-Dame  de  la 
Chapelle  —  after  the  Cathedral,  the  finest 
mediaeval  church  of  Brussels.  The  exterior 
has  lately  (alas!)  been  quite  too  much  re- 
stored. It  shows  a  fine  nave  and  aisles  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  and  a  much  lower  and  very 
beautiful  choir  of  the  thirteenth  century,  with 
some  Romanesque  details  of  an  earlier  build- 
ing (tenth  century?).  Walk  once  round  the 
church,  to  observe  the  exterior  architecture. 


296  Belgium  :   Its    Cities 

The  west  front  is  massive  rather  than  beauti- 
ful. The  sculpture  over  the  door '(the  Trinity 
with  angels,  and  Our  Lady)  is  modern.  Over 
the  southern  portal  is  a  modern  relief,  in  a 
Romanesque  tympanum,  representing-  the 
Coronation  of  Our  Lady  by  God  the  Father 
and  the  Son.  The  Romanesque  and  transi- 
tional work  of  the  beautiful  low  choir  and 
apse  has  unfortunately  been  over-restored. 

The  interior,  with  its  fine  nave  and  aisles,  is 
impressive,  especially  as  you  look  from  the 
centre  down  toward  the  west  end.  The  round 
pillars  of  the  nave  are  handsome,  and  have 
the  usual  figures  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  The 
pulpit  is  one  of  the  familiar  seventeenth  cen- 
tury monstrosities,  with  palms,  and  Elijah  in 
the  Wilderness.  The  interior  of  the  pretty 
little  apse  has  been  so  completely  modernized 
as  to  leave  it  little  interest.  There  are  a  few 
good  pictures  of  the  School  of  Rubens  (De 
Crayer,  Van  Thulden,  etc.). 

On  emerging  from  the  church,  follow  the 
tramway  line  up  the  hill  to  the  market-place 
of  the  Grand  Sablon.  Good  views  in  every 
direction  as  you  enter  the  Place.  The  square 
is  animated  on  Fridays  and   Sundays,   when 


The  Upper  Town  297 

markets  are  held  here.  Pass  through  the 
market-place,  which  contains  an  absurd  eight- 
eenth century  monument,  erected  by  a  Marquis 
of  Ailesbury  of  the  period,  in  gratitude  for 
the  hospitality  he  had  received  from  the  citi- 
zens of  Brussels,  and  continue  on  to  the  Rue 
de  la  Regence,  passing  on  your  right  the 
beautiful  apse  of  the  church  of  Notre-Dame- 
des-Victoires,  now  unhappily  threatened  with 
restoration.  The  entrance  is  in  the  Rue  de 
la  Regence,  and  the  church  is  not  oriented. 

Notre-Dame-des-Victoires,  or  Notre-Dame 
du  Sablon,  was  founded  in  1304  by  the  Guild 
of  Crossbowmen;  but  the  existing  late  Gothic 
building  is  almost  entirely  of  the  fifteenth  and 
sixteenth  centuries.  It  has  been  over-restored 
in  parts,  and  the  beautiful  crumbling  exterior 
of  the  apse  is  now  threatened  with  disfigure- 
ment. 

The  interior  is  pleasing.  Over  the  Main 
Entrance,  within,  is  a  curious  ex  voto  of  a  ship, 
in  commemoration  of  the  arrival  of  a  sacred 
image,  said  to  have  floated  miraculously  by 
sea. 

The  first  chapel  to  your  left  as  you  enter  has 
a  *  tomb  of  Count  Flaminio  Garnier,  secretary 


298  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

to  the  Duke  of  Parma,  partly  restored,  but 
with  fine  original  alabaster  reliefs  of  the  early 
Renaissance,  representing  the  History  of  the 
Virgin.  The  series  begins  below;  (i)  Meet- 
ing of  Joachim  and  Anna  at  the  Golden  Gate; 
(2)  The  Birth  of  the  Virgin;  (3)  The  Pres- 
entation of  the  Virgin  in  the  Temple.  Then, 
above:  (4)  Annunciation;  note  the  relative 
positions  of  the  angel  and  Our  Lady,  the  lily, 
the  prie-dieu,  and  the  loggia  in  the  back- 
ground; (5)  the  Visitation,  with  the  usual 
arch;  and  (6)  the  Presentation  of  Christ  in 
the  Temple. 

The  apse  has  restored  figures  of  saints 
(named)  in  imitation  of  those  which  were 
discovered  in  mined  fresco  during  the  restora- 
tion. They  are  a  good  typical  collection  of  the 
saints  most  venerated  in  the  Low  Countries 
in  the  Middle  Ages. 

The  nave  has  the  usual  figures  of  Apostles, 
named,  and  a  small  open  triforium  just  below 
the  clerestory.  The  pulpit  has  on  its  face  a 
medallion  of  Our  Lady ;  right  and  left,  Moses 
and  St.  Augustine.  Below,  the  four  beasts 
of  the  Evangelists. 

You    need    not    trouble    about    any    other 


The  Upper  Town  299 

special  building  in  Brussels;  but  you  may  oc- 
cupy yourself  pleasantly  with  many  walks 
through  all  parts  of  the  city. 

You  are  now  in  a  position  to  understand 
the  growth  and  spread  of  Brussels.  From  the 
very  beginning,  the  merchant  town  occupied  the 
valley,  while  the  capital  of  the  counts,  dukes, 
or  sovereigns  spread  over  the  hill,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  what  are  still  significantly 
called  the  Montague  de  la  Cour  and  the  Place 
Royale.  To  this  day  the  two  contrasted  parts 
of  the  city  are  broadly  distinct.  The  valley 
speaks  Flemish;  the  mountain,  French.  In 
the  valley  stand  all  the  municipal  and  mer- 
cantile buildings  —  the  H6tel-de-Ville,  the 
Bourse,  the  Post-Office,  the  markets,  and  the 
principal  places  of  wholesale  business.  On 
the  hill  stand  the  Royal  Palace,  the  Govern- 
ment Offices,  the  Legislative  Body,  the  Minis- 
tries, the  Palais  de  Justice,  and  the  whole  of 
the  National  Museums  and  collections.  From 
this  point  of  view  again,  in  our  own  day,  the 
valley  is  municipal,  and  the  hill  national.  The 
contrasted  aspects  of  the  Inner  Boulevards  and 
the  Rue  de  la  Regence  well  mark  the  differ- 
ence.    In  the  valley,  you  will  find,  once  more, 


3CX)  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

the  hotels  of  commerce  and  of  the  passing 
traveller;  on  the  hill,  those  frequented  by 
ambassadors  and  the  wealthier  class  of  for- 
eign tourists.  Near  the  Place  Royale  were 
situated  the  houses  of  the  old  Brabant  nobility, 
the  Egmonts  and  the  Cuylenburgs;  as  at  the 
present  day  are  situated  those  of  the  Arenbergs 
and  the  De  Chimays. 

Historically,  the  spread  of  the  town  from 
its  centre  began  toward  the  Castle  of  the 
Counts  of  Louvain  and  Dukes  of  Brabant,  in 
the  Ancienne  Cour,  now  occupied  by  the  Royal 
Library  and  the  Modern  Picture  Gallery,  as 
well  as  toward  the  ecclesiastical  quarter  of  the 
Cathedral  and  the  Chancellerie.  The  antiq- 
uity of  this  portion  of  the  Upper  Town  is 
well  marked  by  the  continued  existence  of  the 
mediaeval  churches  of  Notre-Dame  de  la 
Chapelle,  Notre-Dame-des-Victoires,  and  the 
Chapelle  de  I'Expiation.  Under  the  Bur- 
gundian  princes,  Brussels  ranked  second  to 
Ghent  and  Bruges;  but  after  the  Hapsburgs 
obtained  possession  of  the  Low  Countries,  it 
was  made  the  principal  residence  of  the  sov- 
ereigns in  their  western  domains.  Charles  V. 
inhabited  it  as  one  of  his  chief  capitals.    Under 


The  Upper  Town  301 

Philip  II.  of  Spain,  it  became  the  official  resi- 
dence of  the  Stadtholder  of  the  Netherlands; 
and  Margaret  of  Parma,  who  bore  that  office, 
held  her  court  in  the  old  Palace.  From  that 
time  forth  Brussels  was  recognized  as  the  com- 
mon capital  of  the  southern  how  Countries. 
The  Austrian  Stadtholders  habitually  lived 
here ;  and  when,  after  the  Napoleonic  upheaval, 
Belgium  and  Holland  were  united  into  a  single 
kingdom,  Brussels  was  made  the  alternative 
capital  with  Amsterdam.  By  the  time  that 
Belgium  asserted  her  independence  in  1830, 
Brussels  had  thus  obtained  the  prescriptive 
right  to  become  the  seat  of  government  of  the 
new  nation. 

The  old  Palace  had  been  burnt  down  in 
1 73 1,  and  the  outer  vnngs  of  the  existing 
Palace  were  built  by  the  Austrians  shortly 
after.  It  was  they,  too,  who  laid  out  the 
Rue  Royale  and  Place  Royale,  with  the  Park 
and  its  surroundings,  as  we  still  see  them  at 
the  present  day.  To  the  Austrian  rulers  are 
aJso  due  the  Parliamentary  Buildings:  but 
the  Palais  des  Academies  was  built  under 
Dutch  rule  in  1829.  Since  1830  the  town 
has    been    greatly    beautified    and    improved. 


302  Belgium  :    Its    Cities 

The  Inner  Boulevards  have  been  opened 
through  the  labyrinth  of  streets  in  the  old 
centre;  the  Palais  de  Justice  has  been  built, 
the  Quartier  Leopold  has  grown  up,  and 
great  edifices  have  been  erected  at  Schaerbeck 
and  elsewhere  on  the  outskirts. 

At  the  present  day,  of  Brussels  within  the 
Boulevards,  the  Hill  District  is  governmental 
and  fashionable;  the  Central  District,  munic- 
ipal and  commercial;  the  Western  District 
contains  the  markets,  basins,  canals,  and  whole- 
sale business  side  of  the  city.  Without  the 
Boulevards,  fashion  has  spread  eastward  to- 
ward the  Bois  de  la  Cambre  and  the  Pare 
Leopold.  The  poorer  districts  run  southward 
and  westward.  But  every  part  of  the  city  is 
amply  provided  with  wide  thoroughfares  and 
open  breathing-spaces.  In  this  respect,  Brus- 
sels is  one  of  the  best  arranged  cities  in 
Europe. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

THE     SURROUNDINGS     OF     BRUSSELS 

THE  only  excursion  of  interest  in  the  im- 
mediate neighbourhood  of  Brussels  is 
that  to  Laeken  (recommended),  which  may 
be  taken  by  tram  from  the  Inner  Boulevards, 
the  Gare  du  Nord^  the  Gare  du  Midi,  Bourse, 
etc.  Cars  run  every  ten  minutes.  The  modern 
Church  of  St.  Mary  at  Laeken  is  a  handsome 
unfinished  building.  A  little  to  the  right  lie 
the  Park  and  the  Royal  Chateau,  inaccessible 
and  unimportant.  The  road  behind  the  church 
ascends  the  Montague  du  Tonnerre,  a  little 
hill  with  a  Monument  to  Leopold  I.,  not  un- 
like the  Albert  Memorial  in  London.  A  good 
*  view  of  Brussels  is  obtained  from  the  summit 
of  the  monument,  ascended  by  a  winding  stair- 
case. (No  fee.)  The  easiest  way  to  make 
this  excursion  is  by  carriage  in  the  afternoon. 
Unless  you  are  a  military  man  or  a  student 
303 


304  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

of  tactics,  I  do  not  advise  you  to  undertake 
the  dull  and  wearisome  excursion  to  Waterloo. 
The  battle-field  is  hot  and  shadeless  in  sum- 
mer, cold  and  draughty  in  spring  and  autumn. 
The  points  of  interest,  such  as  they  are,  lie 
at  considerable  distances.  Waterloo  is  coun- 
try, and  ugly  country  —  no  more.  The  gen- 
eral traveller  who  desires  to  be  conducted 
round  the  various  strategic  landmarks  of  the 
field  will  find  his  wants  amply  catered  for  by 
Baedeker.  But  I  advise  him  to  forego  that 
foregone  disappointment. 

The  time  saved  by  not  visiting  Waterloo 
may,  however^  be  well  devoted  to  a  morning 
excursion  to  Louvain.  This  ancient  and  im- 
portant town,  which  should  be  visited  both 
on  account  of  its  magnificent  H6tel-de-Ville, 
and  in  order  to  make  a  better  acquaintance  with 
Dierick  Bouts,  the  town-painter,  can  be  con- 
veniently reached  by  train  from  the  Gare  du 
Nord.  The  best  trains  take  little  more  than 
half  an  hour  to  do  the  journey.  A  single  morn- 
ing is  sufficient  for  the  excursion,  especially 
if  you  start  early.  Wednesday  is  the  most 
convenient  day,  as  a  quick  train  then  returns 
about    half-past    one.       (Consult    Bradshaw.) 


The  Surroundings  of  Brussels      305 

A  good  lunch  can  be  obtained  in  the  large 
white  building  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the 
H6tel-de-Ville.  (It  is  a  private  club,  but  con- 
tains a  public  restaurant,  on  the  right  within, 
to  which,  push  through  boldly.)  If  you  have 
Conway,  take  him  with  you  on  this  excur- 
sion, to  compare  the  doubtful  Roger  van  der 
Weyden  at  St.  Pierre  with  the  woodcut  he 
gives  of  its  supposed  original  at  Madrid.  Read 
before  you  start  (or  on  the  way)  his  admirable 
accounts  of  Roger  van  der  Weyden  and 
Dierick  Bouts. 

Louvain  is,  in  a  certain  sense,  the  mother 
city  of  Brussels.  Standing  on  its  own  little 
navigable  river,  the  Dyle,  it  was,  till  the  end 
of  the  fourteenth  century,  the  capital  of  the 
Counts  and  of  the  Duchy  of  Brabant.  It  had 
a  large  population  of  weavers,  engaged  in  the 
cloth  trade.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  weavers 
formed  the  chief  bulwark  of  freedom  in  the 
population.  In  1378,  however,  after  a  popular 
rising,  Duke  Wenceslaus  besieged  and  con- 
quered the  city;  and  the  tyrannical  sway  of 
the  nobles,  whom  he  reintroduced,  aided  by 
the  rise  of  Ghent,  or,  later,  of  Antwerp,  drove 
away    trade    from    the    city.      Many    of    the 


3o6  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

weavers  emigrated  to  Holland  and  England, 
where  they  helped  to  establish  the  woollen 
industry. 

During  the  early  Middle  Ages,  Louvain 
was  also  celebrated  for  its  University,  founded 
in  1426,  and  suppressed  by  the  French  in  1797. 
It  was  reestablished  by  the  Dutch  in  1797. 
but  abandoned  by  the  Belgian  Government 
in  1834,  and  then  started  afresh  in  the  next 
year  as  a  free  private  Roman  Catholic  Uni- 
versity.   Charles  V.  was  educated  here. 

The  modern  town  has  shrunk  far  away 
within  its  ancient  ramparts,  whose  site  is  now 
for  the  most  part  occupied  by  empty  Boule- 
vards. It  is  still  the  stronghold  of  Roman 
Catholic  theology  in  Belgium. 

As  you  emerge  from  the  station,  you  come 
upon  a  small  Place,  adorned  with  a  statue  (by 
Geefs)  of  Sylvain  van  der  Weyer,  a  revolu- 
tionary of  1830,  and  long  Belgian  Minister 
in  England.  Take  the  long  straight  street  up 
which  the  statue  looks.  This  leads  direct  to 
the  Grand'  Place,  the  centre  of  the  town, 
whence  the  chief  streets  radiate  in  every  direc- 
tion, the  ground-plan  recalling  that  of  a 
Roman  city. 


The  Surroundings  of  Brussels      307 

The  principal  building  in  the  Grand'  Place 
is  the  H6tel-de-Ville,  standing  out  with  three 
sides  visible  from  the  Place,  and  probably  the 
finest  civic  building  in  Belgium.  It  is  of  very 
florid  late  Gothic  architecture,  between  1448 
and  1463.  Begin  first  with  the  left  fagade, 
exhibiting  three  main  storeys,  with  handsome 
Gothic  windows.  Above  come  a  gallery  and 
then  a  gable-end,  flanked  by  octagonal  turrets, 
and  bearing  a  similar  turret  on  its  summit. 
In  the  centre  of  the  gable  is  a  little  projecting 
balcony  of  the  kind  so  common  on  Belgian 
civic  buildings.  The  architecture  of  the 
niches  and  turrets  is  of  very  fine  florid  Gothic, 
in  better  taste  than  that  at  Ghent  of  nearly 
the  same  period.  The  statues  which  fill  the 
niches  are  modern.  Those  of  the  first  storey 
represent  personages  of  importance  in  the 
local  history  of  the  city:  those  of  the  second, 
the  various  mediaeval  guilds  or  trades :  those 
of  the  third,  the  Counts  of  Louvain  and  Dukes 
of  Brabant  of  all  ages.  The  bosses  or  cor- 
bels which  support  the  statues  are  carved 
with  scriptural  scenes  in  high  relief.  I  give 
the  subjects  of  a  few  (beginning  on  the  left)  : 
the  reader  must  decipher  the  remainder  for 


3o8  Belgium  ;    Its  Cities 

himself.  The  Court  of  Heaven:  The  Fall  of 
the  Angels  into  the  visible  Jaws  of  Hell : 
Adam  and  Eve  in  the  Garden :  The  Expulsion 
from  Paradise :  The  Death  of  Abel,  with 
quaint  rabbits  escaping:  The  Drunkenness 
of  Noah :  Abraham  and  Lot :  etc. 

The  main  facade  has  an  entrance  staircase, 
and  two  portals  in  the  centre,  above  which 
are  figures  of  St.  Peter,  to  the  left,  and  Our 
Lady  and  Child,  to  the  right,  the  former  in 
compliment  to  the  patron  of  the  church  op- 
posite. This  facade  has  three  storeys,  deco- 
rated with  Gothic  windows,  and  capped  by  a 
gallery  parapet,  above  which  rises  the  high- 
pitched  roof,  broken  by  several  quaint  small 
windows.  At  either  end  are  the  turrets  of  the 
gable,  with  steps  to  ascend  them.  The  rows 
of  statues  represent  as  before  (in  four 
tiers)  persons  of  local  distinction,  mediaeval 
guilds,  and  the  princes  who  have  ruled  Bra- 
bant and  Louvain.  Here  again  the  sculptures 
beneath  the  bosses  should  be  closely  inspected. 
Among  the  most  conspicuous  are  the  Golden 
Calf,  the  Institution  of  Sacrifices  in  the  Taber- 
nacle, Balaam's  Ass,  Susannah  and  the  Elders, 
etc. 


The  Surroundings  of  Brussels      309 

The  gable-end  to  the  right,  ill  seen  from 
the  narrow  street,  resembles  in  its  features  the 
one  opposite  it,  but  this  fa-gade  is  even  finer 
than  the  others. 

The  best  general  view  is  obtained  from  the 
the  door  of  St.  Pierre,  or  near  either  corner  of 
the  Place  diagonally  opposite. 

Do  not  trouble  about  the  interior. 

Opposite  the  H6tel-de-Ville  stands  the 
church  of  St.  Pierre,  originally  erected  in 
1040,  but  entirely  rebuilt  in  1430,  to  which 
date  the  whole  existing  edifice  belongs.  It  is 
a  handsome  late  Gothic  building,  with  a  fine 
West  Front,  never  completed,  and  a  truncated 
tower.  The  central  west  window  is  imposing, 
but  the  ruined  portal  has  a  depressing  effect. 
Walk  round  the  church  once  outside  to  observe 
its  exterior  architecture,  obscured  toward  the 
Grand'  Place  by  the  usual  agglomeration  of 
small  Renaissance  houses.  The  main  en- 
trance is  in  the  south  transept;  above  it 
stands  a  poor  modern  statue  of  the  patron,  St. 
Peter.  The  high  choir,  with  its  flying  but- 
tresses, would  form  a  fine  element  if  the 
houses  were  cleared  away,  so  as  to  afford  a 
view  of  the  chapels  below. 


3IO  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

Now  view  the  interior.  Go  at  once  into 
the  body  of  the  church.  The  general 
effect  is  handsome,  but  the  walls  are  cold 
and  whitewashed.  The  church  has  a  fine 
nave,  with  single  aisles,  short  transepts,  high 
choir,  and  ambulatory.  Tlie  nave,  transepts, 
and  choir,  have  all  an  exactly  similar  clere- 
story, with  an  unusual  triforium  of  open 
latticework,  and  tracery  in  the  same  style  in 
the  spandrils  of  the  arches. 

Go  down  to  the  west  end  of  the  nave.  The 
entrance  doors  at  this  end  have  good  but  not 
beautiful  carved  woodwork  of  the  Renaissance. 

Left  aisle.  First  chapel.  Late  Gothic  cop- 
per font,  with  large  crane,  to  support  a 
heavy  iron  cover,  now  removed.  The  other 
chapels  on  this  side  contain  nothing  of  interest. 

Right  aisle.  First  chapel  (of  San  Carlo 
Borromeo),  has  an  altar-piece,  copied  from 
one  by  De  Grayer,  carried  off  by  the  French 
and  now  at  Nancy.  It  represents  San  Carlo 
ministering  to  the  plague-stricken  at  Milan. 
Also,  a  triptych,  by  Van  de  Baeren,  1594. 
Centre,  St.  Dorothea  beheaded.  Her  head 
praising  God.  On  the  left,  her  trial  before 
the  governor,   Fabricius.      On  the  right,   her 


The  Surroundings  of  Brussels      311 

torture  in  enduring  the  sight  of  her  sister's 
martyrdom.     Statue  of  San  Carlo  by  Geefs. 

Second  chapel,  of  the  Armourers,  has  a  rail- 
ing with  arms  and  cannon,  and  contains  an  old 
blackened  crucifix,  and  much  venerated  because 
it  is  said  to  have  caught  a  thief  who  had  en- 
tered the  church  to  steal  the  treasures. 

The  pulpit  is  a  carved  wooden  monstrosity 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  representing,  be- 
hind, the  Repentance  of  Peter,  with  the  cock 
crowing,  a  maladroit  subject  for  a  church  dedi- 
cated to  the  saint.  In  front,  the  Conversion  of 
St.  Paul,  with  his  horse  overthrown.  Above 
are  two  palm-trees. 

A  little  beyond,  in  a  chapel  to  the  right,  is 
a  triptych,  the  Descent  from  the  Cross  (cov- 
ered, the  Sacristan  will  open  it :  one  franc)  ; 
usually  attributed  to  Roger  van  der  Weyden, 
but  much  disputed.  It  is  probably  a  smaller 
(altered)  copy  of  the  famous  composition  in 
the  Escurial  at  Madrid  (see  Conway).  The 
central  picture  has  Christ  supported  by  Joseph 
of  Arimathea  and  Nicodemus,  with  the  faint- 
ing Madonna,  St.  John,  and  the  other  Maries. 
The  singularly  unpleasing  fat  cook-like  Mag- 
dalen, in  a  rich  robe,  is  a  constant  feature  in 


312  Belgium:   Its  Cities 

the  group  of  Descents  from  the  Cross  by 
Roger  and  his  pupils.  Study  this  picture. 
The  left  panel  has  a  good  portrait  of  the  donor, 
with  his  two  sons,  accompanied  by  his  patron 
St.  James  the  Greater  (or  St.  William?).  The 
right  panel  has  his  wife,  with  her  two  daugh- 
ters and  her  patroness,  St.  Adelaide  (or  St. 
Elizabeth  of  Hungary,  holding  the  crown 
which  she  gave  up  for  the  Franciscan  profes- 
sion?). 

The  choir  is  separated  from  the  transepts 
and  nave  by  a  very  handsome  and  elaborate 
*  rood-loft,  in  the  finest  flamboyant  late 
Gothic  style  (1450),  one  of  the  best  still  re- 
maining examples  in  Europe.  It  supports  a 
Crucifixion,  with  St.  John  and  Our  Lady. 
Its  arcade  of  three  handsome  arches  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  sculptured  balustrade,  contain- 
ing figures  of  saints  (the  Saviour,  Our  Lady 
and  Child,  the  Twelve  Apostles  with  the  in- 
struments of  their  martyrdom,  the  Doctors 
of  the  Church,  and  a  few  others).  Examine 
carefully. 

Now,  pass  behind  the  choir,  into  the  am- 
bulatory, beginning  on  the  north,  or  left  side. 
The  first  recess  has  a  fine  medi?eval  tomb  of 


The  Surroundings  of  Brussels     313 

Mathilde  de  Flandre.  On  your  right,  in  the 
choir,  a  little  further  on,  is  a  beautiful  late 
Gothic  tabernacle  or  canopy  of  1450,  gilded, 
and  containing  scenes  from  the  Passion.  Just 
behind  the  high  altar  is  a  curious  little  fif- 
teenth century  relief:  Centre,  the  Crucifixion 
with  St.  John  and  Our  Lady :  Right,  The  Res- 
urrection, with  sleeping  Roman  soldiers :  left, 
The  donor,  with  his  patron,  St.  John  the  Bap- 
tist. 

The  second  chapel  beyond  the  High  Altar 
contains  **  The  Last  Supper,  by  Dierick 
Bouts.  This  picture  forms  the  central  piece 
of  a  triptych,  painted  for  the  Confraternity 
of  the  Holy  Sacrament.  The  left  wing  of  it 
is  now  at  Munich,  and  the  right  at  Berlin. 
It  represented,  when  entire,  the  same  mystical 
series  of  the  Institution  of  the  Eucharist  which 
we  have  already  seen  in  the  Pourbus  of  the 
Cathedral  at  Bruges.  The  central  panel  rep- 
resented the  Institution  of  the  Eucharist;  the 
left  (Munich)  has  Melchizedeck  offering  bread 
and  wine  to  Abraham;  the  right  (Berlin), 
Elijah  fed  by  ravens  in  the  wilderness.  On 
the  outer  sides  of  the  panels  are  two  similar 
typical  subjects:    left   (Munich),  the  Gather- 


314  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

ing  of  the  Manna  or  food  from  Heaven ;  and 
right  (Berlin),  the  Feast  of  the  Passover,  the 
Paschal  Lamb  being  regarded  as  a  type  of 
the  Christian  sacrifice.  The  picture  as  it  stands 
in  this  chapel  has  of  course  lost  its  mystical 
significance.  It  closely  resembles  the  smaller 
Last  Supper  in  the  Brussels  Gallery;  but  the 
architecture  here  is  Gothic,  not  Renaissance. 
Study  well,  especially  the  figures  of  the  donor 
(by  the  door)  and  the  servant.  The  floor  is 
characteristic. 

The  next  chapel  has  a  **  triptych,  by  Die- 
rick  Bouts,  the  Martyrdom  of  St.  Erasmus, 
patron  against  intestinal  diseases :  a  bishop, 
martyred  at  Formia  in  the  persecution  of 
Diocletian.  It  represents  the  hideous  episode 
of  the  unwinding  of  the  saint's  bowels.  The 
executioner  on  the  left  is  a  good  specimen  of 
Dierick  Bouts's  rude  artisan  figures;  he  looks 
like  a  cobbler.  In  the  background  is  the  Em- 
peror Diocletian,  richly  attired,  with  a  court- 
ier, whose  attitude  recalls  more  than  one  of 
those  in  the  Justice  of  Otho.  The  landscape 
is  characteristic  of  Bouts's  manner.  This  is 
a  good,  hard,  dry  picture.  The  left  panel 
has  St.  Jerome,  robed  as  cardinal,  with  his 


The  Surroundings  of  Brussels      315 

lion;  the  right  has  St.  Anthony,  accompanied 
by  a  vanquished  demon.  This,  however,  is 
a  St.  Anthony  as  the  abbot,  not  as  the  hermit 
in  the  desert. 

In  the  same  chapel  is  a  fine  Renaissance 
tomb,  representing  Adolf  van  Baussede  in 
adoration  before  the  Trinity,  introduced  by 
his  patron,  St.  Adolphus,  with  allegorical  fig- 
ures of  Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity.  The  work 
is  almost  Italian  in  character. 

Over  the  High  Altar  is  a  modern  figure 
of  the  patron,  St.  Peter,  enthroned  as  pope, 
and  with  papal  symbols  behind  him.  Left 
of  it  is  the  fine  canopy  we  have  already  ob- 
served from  the  outside,  with  scenes  from  the 
Passion.     The  architecture  here  is  striking. 

The  great  Quentin  Matsys  of  the  Family 
of  St.  Anne  in  the  Brussels  Picture  Gallery 
was  formerly  an  altar-piece  in  this  church. 

There  is  nothing  else  at  Louvain  that  need 
detain  you.  If  you  like,  you  can  stroll  a  little 
way  down  the  Rue  de  Namur,  just  to  the  right 
of  the  H6tel-de-Ville.  It  contains  some  good 
old  houses.  The  desolate  building  on  your 
right  was  originally  the  Halles,  but  is  now 
the  University.    It  was  built  for  the  Guild  of 


3i6  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Clothmakers  in  13 17,  and  has  been  wholly 
modernized;  but  there  are  some  good  Gothic 
arches  on  the  basement  floor  within  (approach 
down  the  side  street  to  the  right).  Further 
on  is  the  College  du  St.  Esprit  on  the  right, 
and  the  Church  of  St.  Michel  (uninteresting) 
on  the  left.  The  street  which  here  runs  off 
obliquely  conducts  to  the  College  Marie  The- 
rese,  and  the  College  Adrien  VI.,  uninterest- 
ing, and  all  used  as  hostelries  for  the  students. 
The  only  other  objects  to  look  at  in  Lou  vain 
are  the  choir-stalls  in  carved  wood,  early  ■ 
Renaissance,  at  the  Church  of  St.  Gertrude, 
dedicated  to  the  Abbess  of  Nivelles  and  aunt 
of  St.  Gudula.  It  lies  down  the  Rue  de 
Malines,  in  the  opposite  direction  from  the 
Rue  de  Namur.  You  have  then  seen  Louvain. 
On  your  way  from  Brussels  to  Antwerp, 
you  ought  to  visit  Malines  Cathedral.  The 
easiest  way  is  to  book  your  luggage  through, 
and  then  stop  for  an  hour  or  two  at  Malines, 
going  on  by  a  later  train. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 


ORIGINS     OF     ANTWERP 


ANTWERP,  the  seaport  of  the  Schelde 
estuary,  is  practically  the  youngest  and 
the  least  interesting  of  the  great  Belgian 
towns.  It  should  therefore  be  visited  last  by 
the  historically-minded  tourist.  A  small  town, 
known  in  Flemish  as  Antwerpen  ("at  the 
Wharf"),  —  a  name  altered  in  French  and 
English  into  An  vers  and  Antwerp,  —  existed 
here,  it  is  true,  as  early  as  the  seventh 
century,  and  suffered  heavily  in  the  ninth 
from  the  ubiquitous  Northmen.  But  its  situ- 
ation at  the  open  mouth  of  the  great  estuary 
of  the  Schelde,  exposed  to  every  passing 
piratical  invader,  rendered  it  unfit  for  the 
purposes  of  early  commerce.  The  trade  of 
Flanders,  in  its  first  beginnings,  accordingly 
concentrated  itself  in  the  more  protected  in- 
land ports  like  Bruges  and  Ghent;  while  that 
317 


3i8  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

of  Brabant^  of  which  province  Antwerp  itself 
formed  a  part,  found  a  safer  home  in  Brussels 
or  Louvain,  far  up  some  minor  internal  river. 
Hence  the  rise  of  Antwerp  dates  no  further 
back  than  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  and  begin- 
ning of  the  sixteenth  century. 

Its  rise,  that  is  to  say,  as  a  grezt  commercial 
port,  for  from  an  early  period  it  was  the  cap- 
ital of  a  petty  margrave,  under  the  Duke  of 
Brabant.  As  northern  Europe  grew  gradually 
quieter  during  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  cen- 
turies, Antwerp  rose  somewhat  in  importance; 
and  the  magnificence  of  its  cathedral,  the 
earliest  part  of  which  dates  from  1352,  suffi- 
ciently shows  that  the  town  was  increasing  in 
wealth  and  population  during  the  palmy  period 
when  Bruges  and  Ghent  governed  the  trade 
of  the  Continent.  But  when,  in  the  fifteenth 
century  and  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth, 
Bruges  began  to  decline  (partly  from  political 
causes,  but  more  still  from  changes  in  navi- 
gation and  trade  routes),  Antwerp  rose  sud- 
denly to  the  first  position  in  the  Low  Coun- 
tries and  perhaps  in  Europe.  Its  large,  deep, 
and  open  port  was  better  adapted  to  the  in- 
creasing shipping  of  the  new  epoch  than  were 


Origins  of  Antwerp  319 

the  shallow  and  narrow  canals  or  rivers  of 
Ghent,  Bruges,  and  Brussels.  The  discovery 
of  America,  and  of  the  route  to  India  by  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  had  revolutionized  both 
commerce  and  navigation ;  vessels  were  built 
larger  and  of  deeper  draught ;  and  the  Schelde 
became  for  a  time  what  the  Thames,  the  Clyde, 
and  the  Mersey  have  become  in  our  own 
period.  Antwerp  under  Charles  V.  was  prob- 
ably even  more  prosperous  and  wealthier  than 
Venice.  The  centre  of  traffic  was  shifting 
from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board. The  city  reached  its  highest  point  of 
prosperity  about  1568,  when  it  is  said  that 
thousands  of  vessels  lay  at  anchor  in  the 
Schelde,  and  that  more  than  a  hundred  craft 
sailed  and  arrived  daily.  Even  allowing  for 
the  smaller  burden  of  those  days,  however,  this 
is  probably  an  exaggeration.  The  great  fairs 
of  Antwerp,  of  which  those  of  Leipzig  and 
Nijni  Novgorod  are  now  the  only  modern  rep- 
resentatives, also  drew  thousands  of  merchants 
from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  chief  im- 
ports were  wool  and  other  agricultural  produce 
from  England,  grain  from  the  Baltic,  wines 
from  France  and  Germany,  spices  and  sugar 


320  Belgium  :  Its  Cities 

from  Portuguese  territory,  and  silks  and 
Oriental  luxuries  from  Venice  and  other  parts 
of  Italy.  The  exports  were  the  manufactured 
goods  of  Flanders  and  Brabant,  countries 
which  still  took  the  lead  in  textile  fabrics, 
tapestries,  carpets,  and  many  other  important 
industries. 

It  is  to  this  late  period  of  wealth  and  pros- 
perity that  Antwerp  owes  most  of  the  great 
buildings  and  works  of  art  which  still  adorn 
it.  Its  Cathedral,  indeed,  varies  in  date  in 
different  parts  from  the  middle  of  the  four- 
teenth to  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, and  some  portions  were  not  quite  com- 
pleted till  the  seventeenth :  but  the  general 
aspect  of  the  core  of  the  town  is  of  the 
Renaissance  epoch.  It  contains  in  its  modem 
gallery  not  a  few  Flemish  paintings  of  the 
earlier  period,  produced  by  the  artists  of 
Ghent,  Bruges,  and  Brussels ;  but  its  own 
native  art  dates  no  further  back  than  Quen- 
tin  Matsys  (1466 — 1531),  the  last  of  the 
painters  of  the  Netherlands  who  adhered  to 
the  national  type  of  art;  while  it  reached  its 
highest  point  in  Rubens  (1577 — 1640),  who 
introduced  into  the  Low  Countries  the  devel- 


Origins  of  Antwerp  321 

oped  style  of  the  Italian  Renaissance,  adapted 
and  strained  throiigh  an  essentially  robust 
Flemish  nature.  It  is  only  at  Antwerp  that 
these  two  great  masters  can  be  studied  to  the 
highest  advantage ;  they  illustrate,  one  the  rise, 
the  other  the  culmination  and  afterglow,  of 
the  greatness  of  their  native  city.  I  say 
native  advisedly,  for  though  Rubens  most 
probably  was  born  at  Siegen  (in  Nassau), 
he  was  an  Antwerper  by  descent,  by  blood, 
by  nature,  and  by  residence. 

The  decline  of  the  city  in  later  times  was 
due  to  a  variety  of  concurrent  causes,  some 
of  them  strangely  artificial,  which  long  dis- 
tracted trade  from  one  of  its  most  natural 
outlets  in  Europe.  The  Spanish  troops  began 
the  devastation,  during  the  abortive  attempt 
of  the  southern  provinces  to  shake  off  the 
yoke  of  Spain;  in  1576,  the  Town  Hall  and 
nearly  a  thousand  noble  buildings  were  burnt, 
while  eight  thousand  people  were  ruthlessly 
massacred.  In  1585,  the  Duke  of  Parma  com- 
pleted the  destruction  of  the  local  prosperity : 
the  population  was  largely  scattered,  and  the 
trade  of  Antwerp  completely  ruined.  The 
long  and  unsuccessful  rebellion,  the  division 


322  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

which  it  unhappily  caused  between  Holland 
and  Belgium,  and  the  rapid  commercial  rise, 
first  of  Amsterdam  and  then  of  England,  all 
contributed  to  annihilate  the  mercantile  impor- 
tance of  Antwerp.  The  Dutch  erected  forts 
on  their  own  territory  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Schelde,  and  refused  to  allow  shipping  to 
proceed  up  the  river.  Finally  by  the  Treaty 
of  Miinster  in  1648  it  was  agreed  that  no 
seagoing  vessel  should  be  allowed  to  ascend 
the  estuary  to  Antwerp,  but  that  all  ships 
should  unload  at  a  Dutch  port,  goods  being 
forwarded  by  river  craft  to  the  former  cap- 
ital of  European  commerce.  From  that  date 
forward  to  the  French  occupation  in  1794, 
Antwerp  sank  to  the  position  of  a  mere  local 
centre,  while  Rotterdam  and  Amsterdam  took 
its  place  as  commercial  cities.  In  the  latter 
year,  however,  the  French  reopened  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Schelde,  and  destroyed  the  in- 
iquitous Dutch  forts  at  the  entrance  to  the 
river.  Napoleon,  in  whose  empire  the  town 
was  included,  constructed  a  harbour  and  built 
new  quays;  but  after  his  fall,  Antwerp  was 
made  over  to  Holland,  and  began  to  trade 
as  a  Dutch  seaport.    The  erection  of  Belgium 


Origins  of  Antwerp  323 

into  a  separate  kingdom  in  1830  again  told 
against  it,  as  the  Dutch  maintained  their  un- 
just power  of  levying  tolls  on  the  shipping; 
in  addition  to  which  drawback,  Antwerp  had 
suffered  heavily  from  siege  during  the  War 
of  Independence.  In  1863,  however,  the 
Dutch  extortioners  were  bought  off  by  a  heavy 
money  payment,  and  Antwerp,  the  natural  out- 
let of  the  Schelde,  and  to  a  great  extent  of  the 
German  empire,  once  more  regained  its  natural 
place  as  a  main  commercial  port  of  Europe. 
Since  that  date,  its  rise  has  been  extraordi- 
narily rapid,  in  correspondence  with  the  large 
development  of  Belgian  manufactures  and  still 
more  with  the  new  position  of  Germany  as  a 
world-trading  power.  Indeed,  nothing  but 
the  artificial  restrictions  placed  upon  its  com- 
merce by  the  selfishness  and  injustice  of  the 
Dutch  could  ever  have  prevented  the  seaport 
of  the  Schelde  from  ranking  as  one  of  the 
chief  harbours  of  the  world,  as  soon  as  ocean- 
going ships  demanded  ports  of  that  size,  and 
as  commerce  had  no  longer  anything  to  fear 
from  marauding  pirates. 

As  a  consequence  of  these  conditions,  we 


324  Belgium  :  Its   Cities 

have  to  expect  in  Antwerp  mainly  a  central 
town  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries, 
with  an  immense  modern  outgrowth  of  very 
recent  origin.  Save  its  fine  Cathedral,  and 
its  imported  pictures,  it  has  little  or  nothing 
of  mediaeval  interest. 

Tlie  population  of  Antwerp  is  almost  en- 
tirely Flemish,  though  French  is  the  language 
of  the  higher  commerce;  and  the  town  is 
the  stronghold  of  the  old  Flemish  feeling  in 
Belgium,  as  opposed  to  the  Parisian  tone  of 
Brussels. 

Concurrently  with  the  rise  of  its  renewed 
commercial  importance,  Antwerp  has  become 
once  more  a  centre  of  Belgian  art,  and  espe- 
cially of  the  pure  Flemish  school  of  archaists, 
who  have  chosen  their  subjects  from  Flemish 
history,  and  followed  to  some  extent  the  prec- 
edents of  the  early  Flemish  painters.  Ex- 
amples of  these  will  meet  us  later. 

Choose  an  hotel  on  the  Place  Verte,  if 
possible,  or  at  least  very  near  it.  You  can- 
not gain  a  first  impression  of  Antwerp  in  less 
than  four  or  five  days. 

Antwerp  is  a  confused  town,  a  maze  with- 


Origins  of  Antwerp  325 

out  a  plan:  till  you  have  learnt  your  way 
about,  I  advise  you  to  follow  the  tram-lines: 
you  will  thus  avoid  the  slummy  streets  which 
abound  even  in  the  best  quarter. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE     CATHEDRAL    OF    ANTWERP 

THE  first  thing  to  see  at  Antwerp  is  the 
High  Church  of  Our  Lady,  once  the 
Cathedral,  and  still  commonly  so  called, 
though  it  is  not  now  a  bishop's  see,  but  part 
of  the  diocese  of  Malines.  It  is  a  fine  early 
and  middle  Gothic  church,  with  a  late  Gothic 
or  flamboyant  tower;  but,  relatively  to  its 
fame,  it  is  externally  disappointing.  This  is 
partly  because  mean  houses  have  been  allowed 
to  gather  round  it,  but  partly  also  because  its 
somewhat  meretricious  spire  has  been  unduly 
praised  by  earlier  generations.  Modern  taste, 
which  admires  the  simpler  and  severer  early 
forms  of  Gothic,  finds  it  fantastic  and  over- 
elaborate. 

The    Place   Verte    opposite    the    Cathedral 
(once  the  churchyard),  is  planted  with  trees, 
and  has  its  centre  occupied  by  a  modern  statue 
326 


The  Cathedral  of  Antwerp         7^2j 

of  Rubens.  This  is  one  of  the  few  points 
from  which  you  can  view  (more  or  less)  the 
exterior  of  the  Cathedral,  the  greater  part  of 
which  is  obstructed  by  shabby  shops  clustered 
round  its  base.  The  only  really  good  views, 
however,  are  obtained  from  the  second-floor 
windows  of  the  houses  on  the  east  side  of 
the  Square,  such  as  the  Hotel  de  1' Europe. 
Nevertheless,  it  will  be  well  to  walk  round 
the  building  outside,  in  order  to  inspect  as 
much  of  it  as  is  visible. 

The  chief  portal  and  the  south  transept  are 
seen  from  the  Place  Verte.  There  is  little 
sculpture  on  them,  save  a  small  late  figure 
of  the  patroness,  Our  Lady,  with  the  Child, 
on  the  centre  pillar  of  the  portal,  and  another 
high  up  between  the  angels  of  the  gable-end. 

Now,  go  round  to  the  left,  into  the  little 
triangular  Place  known  as  the  Marche  aux 
Gants,  to  view  the  main  west  front,  best 
seen  from  the  apex  of  the  triangle  opposite. 
It  has  a  fine  central  portal  and  west  window, 
flanked  by  two  great  towers,  the  southern 
incomplete.  Its  niches  have  statues  of  five 
only  out  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  The  north- 
ern tower,  up  to  the  first  gallery,  is  middle 


328  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Gothic  of  1352 — 1449.  The  upper  portion, 
with  the  octagonal  lantern  of  very  open  work, 
flanked  by  projecting  pinnacles,  tied  by  smal) 
buttresses,  is  in  later  flamboyant  Gothic,  and 
was  erected  in  1502 — 15 18,  by  Dominic  de 
Waghamakere,  the  architect  of  the  Gothic  por- 
tion of  the  Town  Hall  at  Ghent.  This  florid 
spire  has  been  excessively  praised  above  its 
merits,  but  will  hardly  satisfy  a  modern  taste. 
It  can  be  ascended  for  a  fee  of  seventy-five 
centimes,  but  is  dark  and  steep :  the  view, 
though  fine,  hardly  repays  the  trouble. 

The  well  in  the  Marche  aux  Gants,  near 
the  front  of  the  Cathedral,  has  a  beautiful 
wrought-iron  canopy,  to  support  its  lid,  said 
to  have  been  made  by  Quentin  Matsys  when 
he  was  a  blacksmith,  or  rather  a  metal-worker, 
before  he  took  to  painting.  (But  the  legend 
is  doubtful.)  It  consists  of  a  trellis  of  vine, 
supporting  wild  men  and  women  with  clubs, 
and  capped  by  a  figure  of  Brabo,  the  epony- 
mous hero  of  Brabant,  flinging  the  hand  of 
the  giant  Antigonus  (see  later,  under  the 
H6tel-de-Ville). 

Now,  continue  on  round  the  north  side  of 
the  Cathedral.     A  few  glimpses  of  the  north 


The  Cathedral  of  Antwerp         329 

transq)t  and  aisles,  as  well  as  of  the  nave 
and  choir,  may  be  obtained  as  we  proceed, 
much  of  it,  unfortunately,  now  being  marred 
by  excessive  restoration.  The  beautiful  choir 
and  apse,  with  their  flying  buttresses,  are 
almost  entirely  concealed  by  neighbouring 
houses.  If  these  were  cleared  away,  a  fine 
view  would  be  obtained  of  a  noble  piece  of 
architecture,  now  only  visible  by  occasional 
glimpses  from  the  upper  floors  of  surround- 
ing houses.  This  portion  of  the  church  is 
furthei*  disfigured  by  the  abrupt  terminations 
to  the  roofs  of  the  transepts,  and  by  the  ri- 
diculous pepper-caster  top  which  replaces  the 
central  spire  or  Heche  of  the  original  concep- 
tion. Continue  on  through  the  narrow  streets 
till  you  have  made  a  complete  tour  of  the 
Cathedral  and  returned  to  the  Place  Verte 
and  the  door  of  the  south  transept.  The  best 
general  view,  however,  is  not  obtainable  from 
any  of  these  points,  but  from  the  Grand'  Place, 
and  especially  the  upper  windows  of  the  Hotel- 
de-Ville,  to  be  visited  later. 

Now,  enter  the  Cathedral,  by  the  door  in 
the  south  transept.  (Open,  free,  from  eight 
to  twelve  on   Sundays   and   Thursdays :    or, 


330  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

every  day,  twelve  to  four,  on  payment  of  a 
franc  per  person.  But  if  you  wish  really  to 
inspect  the  works  of  art  it  contains,  pay  your 
franc  like  a  man,  and  see  them  at  your  leisure 
when  there  are  no  services  in  progress.  Fine 
music  at  High  Mass  at  ten  on  Sundays.) 

The  interior  is  impressive  and  solemn,  with 
its  high  nave^  transepts,  and  choir,  of  good 
simple  Gothic,  and  its  three  rows  of  aisles,  the 
perspective  of  which,  with  their  many  pillars, 
is  extremely  striking.  The  aisles,  however, 
are  unusually  low  in  proportion  to  the  height 
of  the  central  cruciform  building.  First  walk 
down  the  nave  to  the  west  end,  to  form  a 
general  conception  of  the  fine  and  impressive 
interior,  grand  in  its  colossal  simplicity,  and 
commendably  free  from  eighteenth  century 
disfigurements. 

Now,  begin  at  the  right  or  south  aisle,  which 
contains  admirable  modern  Stations  of  the 
Cross  by  Vinck  and  Hendrickx,  excellently 
painted  in  the  archaic  spirit.  I  do  not  describe 
these,  as  they  need  no  explanation,  but  each  is 
worthy  of  individual  attention.    Do  not  hurry. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Sacrament,  at  the  end 
of  this  aisle,  has  good  polychrome  decoration. 


NAVE    IN    THE    CATHEDRAL,    ANTWERP. 


The  Cathedral  of  Antwerp         331 

and  line  stained-glass  windows  (Last  Supper, 
1503:  St.  Amand  converting  Antwerp;  St. 
Norbert  preaching  against  the  heresy  of  Tan- 
quelin  at  Antwerp,  etc.)  :  also,  a  reliquary  of 
St.  Roch,  and  an  interesting  modern  statue  of 
that  great  plague-saint. 

The  south  transept  has  a  good  modern 
stained-glass  window,  and  affords  fine  views 
of  the  central  Dome  and  Aisles. 

On  the  right  wall  are  the  Marriage  at  Cana 
in  Galilee,  appropriately  painted  for  the  Altar 
of  the  Wine-merchants,  by  M.  de  Vos  (excel- 
lent for  comparison  with  others  of  the  same 
subject),  and  a  Last  Supper  by  Otto  van  Veen, 
the  master  of  Rubens,  formerly  the  Altar-piece 
of  the  Chapel  of  the  Sacrament. 

The  left  wall  of  the  south  transept  is  occupied 
by  Rubens's  great  triptych  of  St.  Christopher, 
commonly  called  (from  its  central  portion) 
**  The  Descent  from  the  Cross.  This  is  a 
splendid  work,  conceived  (as  to  idea)  in  the 
mystical  spirit  of  old  Flemish  art,  though,  car- 
ried out,  of  course,  in  the  utterly  different  and 
incongruous  style  of  Rubens.  In  order  to  un- 
derstand it  we  must  remember  that  triptychs 
were  usually  kept  closed  on  the  altar,  and  that 


332  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

the  picture  which  first  met  the  eye  was  that 
which  occupies  the  outer  shutters.  It  struck 
the  key-note.  Now,  the  outer  shutters  of  this 
work  (seldom  seen,  unless  you  ask  the  Sacris- 
tan to  close  it)  are  occupied  by  a  figure  of  St. 
Christopher,  with  the  hermit  who  directed  him 
to  Christ,  accompanied  by  his  lantern  and  owl, 
as  in  the  earlier  St.  Christopher  triptych  by 
Memling  in  the  Academy  at  Bruges.  This 
painting  was  ordered  from  Rubens  by  the 
Guild  of  Arquebusiers,  whose  patron  is  St. 
Christopher.  On  the  outside,  therefore,  Ru- 
bens painted  the  saint  himself,  whose  name  (of 
course)  means  the  Christ-Bearer.  But  on  the 
inner  portion  he  painted  three  other  symtelical 
or  allusive  scenes  of  the  Bearing  of  Christ : 
on  the  left.  The  Visitation ;  the  unborn  Christ 
borne  by  His  mother :  on  the  right,  The 
Presentation  in  the  Temple;  the  living  Christ 
borne  by  Simeon:  in  the  centre,  The  Descent 
from  the  Cross;  the  dead  Christ  borne  by 
Joseph  of  Arimathea  and  the  Disciples. 

The  left  wing  shows  us  Our  Lady,  in  a 
big  Flemish  hat,  approaching  St.  Elizabeth. 
Behind,  Joseph  and  Zacharias,  the  two  hus- 
bands, shake  hands.      (This  composition  has 


RUBENS.  —  DESCENT    FROM    THE   CROSS. 


The   Cathedral  of  Antwerp         ^^^ 

been  copied  in  the  stained-glass  window  of 
the  Cathedral  at  Antwerp.)  In  order  to  im- 
press the  mystical  meaning  of  the  picture, 
the  fact  of  Our  Lady's  pregnancy  has  been 
strongly   insisted  upon. 

The  central  panel  shows  us  the  Descent 
from  the  Cross.  Nicodemus  holds  the  body 
by  one  shoulder,  while  St.  John,  below,  re- 
ceives it  in  his  arms,  and  the  Magdalen  at  the 
feet  expresses  her  tenderness.  Joseph  of 
Arimathea  descends  the  ladder.  The  actual 
corpse  forms  the  salient  point  in  the  picture. 
It  is  usual  to  say  that  the  contrast  of  the  dead 
body  and  white  sheet  is  borrowed  from  the 
famous  treatment  of  the  same  subject  by 
Daniele  da  Volterra  in  Santa  Trinita  de' 
Monti  at  Rome;  and  indeed,  the  composition 
in  this  work  has  probably  been  suggested  by 
the  Italian  example;  but  a  similar  white  sheet, 
with  the  dead  body  seen  against  it,  is  found 
in  all  early  Flemish  art,  and  especially  in 
works  of  the  School  of  Roger  van  der  Wey- 
den.  (It  is  known  as  the  Holy  Sudarium.) 
In  this  splendid  and  gorgeous  conception, 
Rubens  has  given  the  greatest  importance  to 
the  body  of  the   Saviour;    but  he  is  so  in- 


334  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

tensely  occupied  with  the  mechanical  diffi- 
culties of  its  support,  the  strain  and  stress 
of  the  dead  weight,  that  he  forgets  feeling; 
in  spite  of  the  agonized  attitude  of  the  Mater 
Dolorosa,  the  picture  is  sadly  lacking  in  pathos. 
He  realizes  the  scene  as  to  its  material  facts; 
he  fails  to  realize  its  spiritual  significance. 
(For  an  opposite  opinion,  see  M.  Max  Rooses, 
who  speaks  of  "  the  profound  expression  of 
a  tender  and  respectful  love.")  To  my  mind, 
the  man  who  holds  the  Sudarium  in  his  teeth 
is  a  fault  of  taste  of  the  most  flagrant  char- 
acter. We  think  of  the  whole  work  rather 
as  a  wonderful  piece  of  art  than  as  the  fitting 
delineation  of  a  sacred  subject.  But  as  art 
it  is  triumphant.  The  faces  of  the  St.  John 
and  the  Magdalen  are  also  charming. 

The  right  wing,  with  the  Presentation,  and 
the  aged  Simeon  receiving  Christ  in  his  arms, 
is  of  less  interest. 

Next,  enter  the  ambulatory,  behind  the 
Choir. 

First  chapel.  Good  modern  stained-glass 
window  of  the  Pieta. 

Second  chapel.  Tomb  of  John  Moretus,  the 
son-in-law  of  Plantin,  the  famous  printer  (see 


RUBENS. — ASSUMPTION    (AND    THE   HIGH    ALTAR). 


The  Cathedral  of  Antwerp        335 

after,  under  Musee  Plantin-Moretus)  erected 
by  Martina  Plantin,  his  widow,  and  with 
pictures  by  Rubens.  Above,  in  an  oval,  por- 
trait of  John  Moretus  (by  a  pupil,  retouched 
by  Rubens).  Below,  triptych;  centre,  *  The 
Resurrection,  emblematic  of  hope  for  his  glo- 
rious future.  Left  wing,  his  patron,  St.  John 
the  Baptist;  right  wing,  his  widow's  patron- 
ess, St.  Martina.  This  triptych,  too,  loses  by 
not  being  first  seen  closed :  on  the  outside  are 
two  angels,  about  to  open  a  door ;  as  the  wings 
unfold,  you  behold  the  luminous  figure  of 
the  risen  Christ,  grasping  the  red  Resurrec- 
tion banner.  This  figure  is  celebrated.  The 
dismay  of  the  Roman  soldiers  is  conceived  in 
the  thorough  Rubens  spirit.  Observe  the  ar- 
rangement of  this  triptych  on  the  tomb:  it 
will  help  you  to  understand  others  in  the 
Museum. 

Opposite  this,  Tomb  of  a  Premonstratenslan 
Friar,  with  St.  Norbert,  founder  of  the  Order, 
in  adoration,  by  Pepyn. 

This  chapel  is  also  one  of  the  best  points 
of  view  for  Rubens's  famous  **  Assumption, 
above  the  High  Altar.  We  here  see  one  of 
these  great   altar-pieces    (of  which   we  shall 


336  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

meet  many  examples  in  the  Museum)  placed 
in  the  situation  for  which  it  was  originally 
designed.  This  Assumption  ranks  as  one  of 
Rubens's  masterpieces.  Above,  Our  Lady  is 
caught  up  into  the  air  by  a  circle  of  little 
cherubs,  dimly  recalling  the  earlier  Italian 
mandorla.  Below,  stand  the  Apostles,  look- 
ing into  the  empty  tomb,  with  the  youthful 
figure  of  St.  Thomas  stretching  out  his  hands 
in  an  attitude  derived  from  the  Italian  sub- 
ject of  the  Sacra  Cintola.  In  the  centre  of 
the  foreground,  the  Holy  Women,  about  to 
pick  roses  from  the  empty  tomb.  (See  a  sim- 
ilar work  in  the  Brussels  Museum.  This  com- 
position can  only  be  understood  by  the  light 
of  earlier  Italian  examples.) 

On  the  pier  between  this  and  the  next  chapel. 
Crucifixion,  with  Scenes  from  the  Passion. 

Third  chapel :  Master  of  the  School  of 
Cologne,  fourteenth  century.  A  Glory  of 
the  Angels.  In  the  centre,  St.  Michael  the 
Archangel  slaying  a  dragon,  whose  double 
tongue  divides  into  many  heads  of  kings. 
Right  and  left,  the  insignificant  donor  and 
donatrix.  On  either  side,  choirs  of  angels 
in   hierarchies.      Above,    Christ   enthroned   in 


The  Cathedral  of  Antwerp        ^^y 

a  mandoria  (almond-shaped  halo)  worshipped 
by  angels.  Beneath,  in  the  predella,  St. 
Stephen  with  his  stone;  St.  Ursula  with  bow 
and  arrow ;  St.  Peter  with  his  keys ;  a  Pieta ; 
St.  John  the  Evangelist;  St.  Agnes  with  her 
ruby  ring;  and  St.  Anthony  the  Abbot  with 
his  staff  and  bell.  A  good  picture  of  the 
school  from  which  Van  Eyck  was  a  reaction. 
Opposite  it,  Tomb  of  Bishop  Ambrosio  Ca- 
pello,  by  Arthus  Quellin,  the  only  one  remain- 
ing tomb  of  a  bishop  in  the  Cathedral. 

Fourth  chapel.  Good  sixteenth  century 
figure  of  Our  Lady  and  Qiild.  Tomb  of 
Plantin,  with  Last  Judgment,  by  De  Backer. 

Fifth  chapel.  Beautiful  modern  archaic 
altar-piece  of  St.  Barbara. 

Sixth  chapel.  Nothing  of  special  interest, 
though  in  all  these  chapels  the  stained-glass 
windows  and  polychromatic  decorations  are 
worthy  of  notice. 

Opposite  it,  on  the  back  of  the  High  Altar, 
painted  imitations  of  reliefs,  by  Van  Bree : 
an  extraordinary  illusion ;  Annunciation,  Mar- 
riage of  the  Virgin,  Visitation.  In  front  of 
these,  Tomb  of  Isabella  of  Bourbon,  wife  of 
Charles  the   Bold,   and   mother   of   Mary   of 


;^^S  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

Burgundy.  Altar-back,  Death  of  the  Virgin, 
seventeenth  century. 

Seventh  chapel.  Good  modern  archaic  altar- 
piece,  with  a  miracle  of  St.  John  Berchman. 
The  saints  are  named  on  it. 

Eighth  chapel.  Tolerable  modem  archaic 
altar-piece  of  Our  Lady  and  Child,  with 
donors  and  saints. 

On  the  pier,  between  this  and  the  next 
chapel,  School  of  Roger  van  der  Weyden, 
Selection  of  Joseph  as  the  husband  of  the 
Virgin,  and  Marriage  of  the  Virgin;  a  good 
picture. 

Ninth  chapel,  of  St.  Joseph,  patron  saint 
of  Belgium,  and  therefore  honoured  with  this 
larger  shrine.  On  the  Altar,  modem  carved 
and  gilt  altar-piece,  St.  Joseph  bearing  the 
Infant  Christ.  Around  it,  Scenes  from  his 
Life.  On  the  left  (beginning  below),  Mar- 
riage of  the  Virgin  and  Joseph,  Nativity, 
Presentation  in  the  Temple;  on  the  right  (be- 
ginning above),  Flight  into  Egypt,  Finding 
of  Christ  in  the  Temple,  the  Holy  Carpenter's 
Shop,  Centre,  Death  of  St.  Joseph.  On  the 
wings,  right,  Philip  IV.  dedicating  Belgium 
to   St.  Joseph;    left,   Pius   IX.,   accompanied 


The   Cathedral  of  Antwerp        339 

by  St.  Peter,  appointing  Joseph  patron  saint  of 
Belgium. 

Now  enter  the  north  transept. 

On  the  right  wall.  Rubens's  famous  *  Ele- 
vation of  the  Cross.  In  form  a  triptych,  but 
with  the  same  subject  continued  through  its 
three  members.  Centre,  The  Elevation :  left, 
St.  John,  the  Mater  Dolorosa,  and  the  Holy 
Women :  right,  Longinus  and  the  soldiers,  with 
the  two  thieves.  This  is  one  of  Rubens's  most 
bustling  pictures,  where  the  mere  muscular  ef- 
fort almost  wholly  chokes  the  sense  of  pathos. 
The  dog  in  the  foreground  is  an  exceptionally 
unhappy  later  addition  by  the  master.  The  tone 
of  colour  is  brown  and  cold;  the  work  is 
mainly  painted  for  light  and  shade.  It  was 
formerly  the  altar-piece  in  the  Church  of  St. 
Walburga,  who  appears  with  other  saints  on 
the  outer  shutters. 

This  Transept  also  contains  stained  glass  of 
the  seventeenth  century. 

On  the  left  wall  is  a  triptych  by  Francken: 
Centre,  Christ  among  the  Doctors,  said  to  be 
portraits  of  the  Reformers.  Left  wing,  St. 
Ambrose  baptizing  Augustine,  with  the  donor, 


340  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

kneeling.  Right  wing,  Elijah  causing  the 
widow's  cruse  of  oil  to  be  replenished. 

The  chapel  in  the  north  transept  has  noth- 
ing of  interest. 

Now,  enter  the  Choir^  with  good  modern 
carved  stalls,  and  a  different  but  less  impres- 
sive view  of  Rubens's  Assumption. 

The  north  aisle  has  little  of  interest,  save 
its  stained-glass  windows,  and  a  Head  of 
Christ,  painted  on  marble,  ascribed  to  Leo- 
nardo, but  really  of  Flemish  origin.  This  is 
affixed  to  the  first  pillar  of  the  Lady  Chapel. 
Further  on  in  the  aisle,  confessionals  with 
tolerable  wood-carvings. 

The  nave  has  the  usual  overloaded  seven- 
teenth century  pulpit,  with  Europe,  Asia,  Af- 
rica, and  America. 

I  have  only  briefly  enumerated  the  principal 
contents;  but  you  will  find  much  more  that  is 
interesting  for  yourself  if  you  spend  an  hour 
or  two  longer  in  examining  the  Cathedral. 


PULPIT    IN    THE    CATHEDRAL,    ANTWERP. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

THE    ANTWERP    PICTURE    GALLERY!      HALL    OF 
THE    ANCIENT    MASTERS 

"  I  ^HE  chief  object  of  interest  at  Antwerp, 
^  even  more  important  than  the  Cathedral 
itself,  is  the  Picture  Gallery,  regally  housed 
in  a  magnificent  Museum  at  the  south  end  of 
the  town.  The  building  alone  might  make 
Trafalgar  Square  blush,  if  Trafalgar  Square 
had  a  blush  left  in  it.  To  this  collection  you 
should  devote  at  least  two  or  three  mornings. 
The  Antwerp  Gallery  contains  in  its  pala- 
tial rooms  a  large  number  of  Flemish  pictures, 
many  of  them  collected  from  the  suppressed 
Churches  and  Monasteries  of  the  city.  (Re- 
member that  they  were  painted  for  such 
situations,  not  to  be  seen  in  Museums.)  You 
will  here  have  an  opportunity  of  observing  a 
few  good  pictures  of  the  early  Flemish  School, 
and  especially  of  improving  your  slight  ac- 
341 


342  Belgium  ;   Its   Cities 

quaintance  with  Roger  van  der  Weyden,  one 
of  whose  loveliest  works  is  preserved  in  the 
gallery.  You  will  also  see  at  least  one  ad- 
mirable example  of  Quentin  Matsys,  as  well 
as  several  fine  works  of  the  Transitional  School 
between  the  early  and  the  later  Flemish 
periods. 

But  the  special  glory  of  the  Antwerp 
Museum  is  its  great  collection  of  Rubenses. 
It  is  at  Antwerp  alone,  indeed,  that  you  can 
begin  to  grasp  the  greatness  of  Rubens,  as 
you  may  grasp  it  afterward  at  Munich  and 
Vienna.  I  do  not  say  you  will  love  him :  I 
will  not  pretend  to  love  him  myself:  but  you 
may  at  least  understand  him.  This,  then,  is 
the  proper  place  in  which  to  consider  briefly 
the  position  of  Rubens  in  Flemish  Art. 

From  the  days  of  the  Van  Eycks  to  those 
of  Gerard  David,  painting  in  the  Low  Coun- 
tries had  followed  a  strictly  national  line  of 
development.  Its  growth  was  organic  and 
internal.  With  Quentin  Matsys,  and  still 
more  with  Bernard  van  Orley,  Pourbus,  and 
the  rest,  the  influence  of  the  Italian  Renais- 
sance had  begim  to  interfere  with  the  native 
current  of  art  in  the  Low  Countries.     It  was 


i    h: 


The  Antwerp   Picture  Gallery     343 

Rubens  who  finally  transformed  Flemish  paint- 
ing by  adopting  to  a  certain  extent  the  gran- 
diose style  of  the  later  Italian  and  especially 
the  Venetian  Masters,  at  the  same  time  that 
he  transfused  it  with  local  feeling  and  with 
the  private  mark  of  his  own  superabundant  and 
vigorous  individuality. 

Rubens  was  an  Antwerp  man,  by  descent 
and  education,  though  accidentally  born  at 
Siegen  in  Nassau.  His  father  was  an  Antwerp 
justice  of  an  important  family,  exiled  for  sup- 
posed Calvinistic  leanings,  and  disgraced  for 
an  intrigue  with  a  royal  lady,  Anna  of  Saxony, 
the  eccentric  wife  of  William  of  Orange.  A 
gentleman  by  birth  and  breeding,  Peter  Paul 
Rubens  painted  throughout  life  in  the  spirit 
of  a  generous,  luxurious  aristocrat.  His 
master  was  Otto  van  Veen,  Court  Painter  to 
the  Dukes  of  Parma,  and  himself  an  Italian- 
ized Flemish  artist,  whose  work  is  amply 
represented  in  the  Museum.  Early  in  life, 
Rubens  travelled  in  Italy,  where  he  imbibed 
to  a  great  extent  the  prevailing  tone  of  Italian 
art,  as  represented  by  Titian,  Veronese,  and 
to  a  less  extent,  Tintoretto,  as  well  as  by 
Domenichino  and  the  later  Roman  School  of 


344  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

painters.  To  these  influences  we  must  add  the 
subtler  efifect  of  the  general  spirit  of  the  late 
sixteenth  and  early  seventeenth  centuries,  the 
age  when  voyages  to  America  and  to  India, 
and  the  sudden  opening  of  the  Atlantic  sea- 
board, had  caused  in  men's  minds  a  great  fer- 
ment of  opinion  and  given  rise  to  a  new  out- 
burst of  activity  and  struggle.  Romance  was 
rife.  The  world  was  turned  upside  down.  It 
was  the  day  of  Spanish  supremacy,  the  day 
when  the  gold  and  silver  of  the  Indies  poured 
in  vast  sums  into  Madrid  and  the  Low  Coun- 
tries. The  Mediterranean  had  given  way  to 
the  Atlantic,  Venice  to  Antwerp.  In  England, 
this  age  gave  us  the  rich  and  varied  Eliza- 
bethan literature;  in  the  Low  Countries,  it 
gave  us  the  highly  analogous  and  profusely 
lavish  art  of  the  School  of  Rubens. 

Rubens  lived  his  life  throughout  on  a  big 
scale.  He  travelled  much.  He  was  statesman 
and  diplomatist  as  well  as  painter.  He  moved 
from  Paris  to  London^  from  Madrid  to 
Mantua.  All  these  things  give  a  tone  to  his 
art.  He  is  large,  spacious,  airy,  voluptuous. 
He  has  a  bold  self-confidence,  a  prodigal  free- 
dom, an  easy  opulence.    He  delights  in  colossal 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     345 

figures,  in  regal  costume,  in  court  dresses  and 
feathers,  —  the  romance  and  pageantry  of  the 
royal  world  he  lived  in.  Space  seems  to  swell 
and  soar  on  his  canvas.  Vast  marble  halls 
with  huge  pillars  and  lofty  steps  are  the  archi- 
tectural background  in  which  his  soul  delights. 
His  outlines  are  too  flowing  to  be  curbed  into 
stifif  correctness.  His  sturdy  Flemish  nature, 
again,  comes  out  in  the  full  and  fleshy  figures, 
the  florid  cheeks,  and  the  abundant  fair  hair 
of  his  female  characters.  All  scenes  alike, 
however  sacred,  are  for  him  just  opportunities 
for  the  display  of  sensuous  personal  charm, 
enlivened  by  rich  costume  or  wealthy  acces- 
sories. Yet  in  his  large  romantic  way  he  is 
doing  for  cosmopolitan  mercantile  Antwerp 
in  the  seventeenth  century  what  Van  Eyck 
and  Memling  did  for  cosmopolitan  Ghent  and 
Bruges  in  the  fifteenth. 

One  more  peculiarity  of  his  art  must  be 
mentioned.  The  early  painters,  as  we  saw 
in  the  St.  Ursula  casket,  had  little  sense  of 
real  dramatic  life  and  movement.  Rubens  had 
learned  to  admire  this  quality  in  his  Venetian 
masters,  and  he  bettered  their  instruction  with 
Flemish  force  and  with  the  stir  and  bustle  of 


346  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

a  big  seaport  town  in  an  epoch  of  development. 
His  pictures  are  full,  not  merely  of  life,  but 
of  strain,  stress,  turmoil.  It  is  more  than 
animation  —  it  is  noise,  it  is  tumult.  He  often 
forgets  the  sacredness  of  a  scene  by  emphasiz- 
ing too  much  the  muscular  action  and  the 
violent  movement  of  those  who  participate 
in  it.  This  is  particularly  noticeable  in  the 
Descent  from  the  Cross  in  the  Cathedral,  and 
still  more  in  the  famous  Coup  de  Lance  at 
the  Museum. 

The  astonishing  number  of  pictures  which 
Rubens  has  left  may  be  accounted  for  in  part 
by  his  incredible  rapidity  of  execution  —  he 
dashed  off  a  huge  picture  in  a  fortnight,  — 
but  in  part  also  by  the  fact  that  he  was  largely 
assisted  by  a  numerous  body  of  pupils.  Of 
these,  Van  Dyck  was  by  far  the  most  indi- 
vidual, the  tenderest,  the  most  refined :  and 
not  a  few  of  his  stately  and  touching  master- 
pieces may  here  be  studied. 

The  Dutch  School  is  also  represented  by 
several  excellent  small  pictures. 

Of  alien  art,  there  are  a  few  fine  pieces  by 
Early  Italian  artists. 

The  entrance  door  Is  under  the  great  por- 


The   Antwerp   Picture   Gallery      347 


THE  PICTURE  GALLERY,   ANTWERP. 
Uodcrn  Pictures  in  the  Rooms  marked  with  an  Italic  capital. 


348  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

tico  on  the  west  front,  facing  the  river.  Open 
daily,  nine  or  ten  to  four  or  five,  one  franc  per 
person:  free  on  Sundays.  (Inquire  hours  of 
hotel  porter.) 

You  pass  from  the  vestibule,  v^here  sticks 
and  umbrellas  are  left,  into  a  hall  and  stair- 
case of  palatial  dimensions,  admirably  deco- 
rated with  fine  modern  paintings  by  N.  De 
Keyser,  of  Antwerp,  representing  the  Arts 
and  Artists  of  the  city,  the  influence  upon 
them  of  Italian  masters,  and  the  recognition 
extended  to  their  work  in  London,  Paris, 
Rome,  Bologna,  Amsterdam,  and  Vienna.  I 
do  not  describe  these  excellent  pictures,  as  the 
inscriptions  upon  them  sufficiently  indicate 
their  meaning,  but  they  are  well  worth  your 
careful  attention. 

The  rooms  are  lettered  (A,  B,  C,  etc.)  over 
the  doorways.  On  reaching  the  top  of  the 
staircase,  pass  at  once  through  Rooms  J  and 
I,  and  go  straight  into  Room  C,  the  Hall  of 
the  Ancient  Masters,  Flemish  or  foreign. 

Right  of  the  door, 

224.  Justus  of  Ghent :  a  bland  old  pope, 
probably  St.  Gregory,  holding  a  monstrance, 
between  two  angels.     In  the  background,  a 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     340 

curious  altar-piece,  with  the  Annunciation,  Na- 
tivity, Adoration  of  the  Magi,  Flight  into 
Egypt,  Presentation  in  the  Temple,  and  Find- 
ing of  Christ  in  the  Temple.  Above  it,  two 
female  saints  (or  figures  of  Our  Lady?).  A 
good  work,  in  an  early  dry  manner. 

463.  Madonna  and  Child,  by  Van  Orley; 
the  landscape  by  Patinier.  From  a  tomb  in 
the  Cathedral. 

383.  Van  der  Meire.  Triptych  from  an 
altar;  Centre,  Way  to  Calvary,  with  St.  Ve- 
ronica offering  her  napkin,  and  brutal,  stolid 
Flemish  soldiers  bearing  the  hammer,  etc.  In 
the  background,  the  Flight  into  Egypt.  The 
wings  have  been  transposed.  Left  (should  be 
right),  the  Finding  of  Christ  in  the  Temple. 
Right  (should  be  left),  the  Presentation  in  the 
Temple. 

Above  it,  380.  Van  den  Broeck  (1530 — 
1601):  a  Last  Judgment.  Interesting  for 
comparison  with  previous  examples.  Renais- 
sance nude. 

557.  Unknown.  Dutch  School  of  the  early 
sixteenth  century.  The  Tiburtine  Sibyl  show- 
ing the  Emperor  Augustus  the  apparition  of 
the  Virgin  and   Child  on  the  Aventine.     A 


350  Belgium  :  Its  Cities 

page,  his  robe  embroidered  with  his  master's 
initial  A.,  holds  the  Emperor's  crown.  Very 
Dutch  architecture.  (The  Catalogue,  I  think 
erroneously,  makes  it  the  Madonna  appearing 
to  Constantine.) 

560.     Good  hard  early  Dutch  portrait. 

42.  An  Adam  and  Eve,  attributed  to  Cra- 
nach  the  Elder.    Harsh  northern  nude. 

527.  Unknown.  Resurrection,  the  Sa- 
viour, bearing  the  white  pennant,  with  red 
cross,  and  sleeping  Roman  soldiers. 

341.  Good  portrait  by  Susterman,  alias 
Lambert  Lombard. 

Above  these,  Madonna,  in  the  Byzantine 
style,  with  the  usual  Greek  inscriptions. 

521.  School  of  Albert  Diirer:  Mater  Dol- 
orosa, with  the  Seven  Sorrows  around  her. 

549.  Good  Flemish  portrait  of  William  L, 
Prince  of  Orange. 

Above,  387,  Van  der  Meire:  an  Entomb- 
ment, with  the  usual  figures,  Nicodemus  and 
Joseph  of  Arimathea;  the  Magdalen  in  the 
foreground  with  the  box  of  ointment;  the 
Mater  Dolorosa  supported  by  St.  John  (in 
red)  ;    and,  behind,  the  two  Maries.     In  the 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     351 

background,  a  Pieta  —  that  is  to  say,  the  same 
group  mourning  over  the  Dead  Saviour. 

425.  Van  Hemessen :  The  CalHng  of  Mat- 
thew from  the  receipt  of  custom.  Harsh  and 
uninteresting. 

568.  School  of  Quentin  Matsys:  Christ 
and  St.  Veronica.  Probably  part  only  of  a 
Way  to  Calvary.    The  spiked  club  is  frequent. 

241.  Quentin  Matsys:  a  fine  and  cele- 
brated *  Head  of  the  Saviour  Blessing,  with 
more  expression  than  is  usual  in  the  Flemish 
type  of  this  subject.  Notice  even  here,  how- 
ever, close  adhesion  to  the  original  typical  fea- 
tures. 

242.  Quentin  Matsys :  Companion  *  Head 
of  Our  Lady,  as  Queen  of  Heaven.  Full  of 
charm  and  simplicity. 

Between  these,  4,  *  Antonello  da  Messina 
(an  Italian  profoundly  influenced  by  the 
School  of  Van  Eyck,  and  the  first  to  introduce 
the  Flemish  improvements  in  oil  painting  into 
Italy).  Crucifixion,  with  St.  John  and  Our 
Lady.  This  work  should  be  carefully  studied, 
as  a  connecting  link  between  the  art  of 
Flanders  and  Italy.     It  is  painted  with  the 


352  Belgium :   Its   Cities 

greatest  precision  and  care,  and  bears  marks 
everywhere  of  its  double  origin  —  Flemish 
minuteness,  Italian  nobility. 

254.  Memling :  **  admirable  cold-toned 
portrait  of  a  member  of  the  De  Croy  family. 
The  hands,  face,  and  robe,  are  all  exquisitely 
painted. 

Centre  of  the  wall,  412,  good  early  copy  of 
Jan  van  Eyck's  altar-piece  for  Canon  George 
van  der  Paelen,  in  the  Academy  at  Bruges,  If 
you  have  not  been  there,  see  page  121,  Vol.  I., 
for  particulars.  Better  preserved  than  the  orig- 
inal :   perhaps  a  replica  by  the  master  himself. 

519.  Crucifixion,  with  Our  Lady  and  St. 
John,  on  a  gold  background.  Interesting  only 
as  a  specimen  of  the  very  wooden  Dutch  paint- 
ing of  the  fourteenth  century.  Contrast  it  with 
the  Van  Eyck  beneath  it,  if  you  wish  to  see  the 
strides  which  that  great  painter  took  in  his  art. 

397.  Good  hard  *  portrait  of  Philippe  le 
Bon  of  Burgundy,  an  uninteresting,  narrow- 
souled  personage,  wearing  the  collar  of  the 
Golden  Fleece,  by  Roger  van  der  Weyden. 

43.  Cranach  the  Elder :  Charity.  A  study 
of  the  nude,  somewhat  more  graceful  than  is 
the  wont  of  this  painter. 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery    353 

264.  Mostaert  (Jan,  the  Dutchman),  tol- 
erable hard  portrait :  same  person  reappears  in 
262. 

179.  Gossaert:  *a  beautiful  panel  repre- 
senting the  Return  from  Calvary.  The  Mater 
Dolorosa  is  supported  by  St.  John.  On  the 
left,  the  Magdalen  with  her  pot  of  ointment; 
right,  the  other  Maries.  Very  touching.  No- 
tice the  Flemish  love  for  these  scenes  of  the 
Passion  and  Entombment. 

198.  Hans  Holbein  the  Younger :  **  ad- 
mirable portrait  of  Erasmus.  It  lives.  Full  of 
vivacity  and  scholarly  keenness,  with  the  quick 
face  of  a  bright  intelligence,  and  the  expressive 
hands  of  a  thinker.     The  fur  is  masterly. 

180.  Gossaert :  group  of  figures  some- 
what strangely  known  as  "  The  Just  Judges." 
Probably  a  single  surviving  panel  from  an  ex- 
tensive work  of  the  same  character  as  the 
Adoration  of  the  Lamb  at  Ghent. 

263.  Jan  Mostaert :  *  very  fine  portrait  of 
a  man  in  a  large  black  hat  and  yellow  doublet. 
Pendant  to  264. 

558.  Holy  Family.  Dutch  School.  Early 
sixteenth  century. 

202.    Lucas  van  Leyden  :   *  portraits.  Char- 


354  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

acteristic,  and  well  thrown  out  against  the  back- 
ground. 

566.  School  of  Quentin  Matsys :  a  genre 
piece,  representing  a  gallant  episode  between 
a  girl  and  an  old  man.  Not  readily  compre- 
hensible. 

168.  Triptych  by  Fyol,  German  School. 
Centre,  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi.  The  Old 
King  has  removed  his  crown,  as  usual,  and 
presented  his  gift.  He  is  evidently  a  portrait : 
he  wears  a  collar  of  the  Golden  Fleece,  and  is 
probably  Philippe  le  Bon.  Behind  him,  the 
Middle-aged  King,  kneeling;  then  the  Young 
King,  a  Moor,  with  his  offering.  (The  story 
of  the  Three  Kings  —  Gaspar,  Melchior,  Bal- 
thasar  —  was  largely  evolved  in  the  Cologne 
district,  where  their  relics  formed  the  main 
object  of  pious  pilgrimage.)  To  the  right, 
an  undignified  Joseph,  with  his  staff,  and  the 
peculiar  robe  with  which  you  are  now,  I  hope, 
familiar.  In  the  background,  the  family  of 
the  donor,  looking  in  through  a  window.  The 
wings  have,  I  think,  been  misplaced.  Left, 
The  Circumcision ;  right,  Nativity :  notice  the 
ox  and  ass,  and  the  costume  of  Joseph. 

325.     Schoreel:      Crucifixion,     with     Our 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     355 

Lady,  St.  John,  the  Magdalen,  and  angels 
catching  the  Holy  Blood.  (A  frequent  epi- 
sode. ) 

Above  it,  570,  School  of  Gossaert:  Our 
Lady. 

262.  Jan  Mostaert :  The  Prophecies  of  Our 
Lady.  Above,  she  is  represented  as  Queen  of 
Heaven,  in  an  oval  glory  of  angels,  recalling 
the  Italian  mandorla.  Below,  those  who  have 
prophesied  of  her:  in  the  centre,  Isaiah,  with 
scroll,  "  Behold,  a  Virgin  shall  conceive,"  etc. : 
right  and  left,  Micah  and  Zechariah.  Further 
right  and  left,  two  Sibyls.  The  one  to  the 
right  is  the  same  person  as  264. 

567.  School  of  Quentin  Matsys:  Favour- 
ite subject  of  the  Miser. 

25.     More  monstrosities  by  Bosch. 

Beyond  the  door, 

534.  Unknown:  Flemish  School:  Assump- 
tion of  Our  Lady.  Above,  the  Trinity  waiting 
to  crown  her. 

123.  Dunwege:  German  School.  The 
Family  of  St.  Anne,  resembling  in  subject  the 
Quentin  Matsys  at  Brussels.  Centre,  St. 
Anne  enthroned.  Below  her.  Our  Lady  and 
the  Divine  Child.     (Often  Our  Lady  sits  on 


356  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

St.  Anne's  lap.)  To  the  left,  Joachim  offers 
St.  Anne  and  Our  Lady  cherries.  (See  "  Leg- 
ends of  the  Madonna.")  To  the  right,  St. 
Joseph,  with  his  staff  and  robe.  On  either 
side,  the  Maries,  with  their  children,  here 
legibly  named,  and  their  husbands.  (From  a 
church  at  Calcar.) 

Above  this,  523.  Triptych :  Madonna  and 
Child,  with  donors  and  patron  saints  (Sebas- 
tian and  Mary  Magdalen).  Note  their  sym- 
bols.   On  either  side. 

Van  der  Meire :  388 :  Mater  Dolorosa ;  her 
breast  pierced  with  a  sword :  and  389  ( attri- 
bution doubtful,  according  to  Lafenestre),  a 
donatrix  with  St.  Catherine,  holding  the  sword 
of  her  martyrdom. 

569.  School  of  Gossaert,  Way  to  Calvary, 
with  the  usual  brutal  soldiers. 

47.  Herri  Met  de  Bles:  Repose  on  the 
Flight  into  Egypt.  Notice  the  sleeping  St. 
Joseph,  and  the  staff,  basket,  and  gourd,  which 
mark  this  subject. 

539.     Good  unknown  Flemish  portrait. 

Beyond  this,  a  frame  containing  five  excel- 
lent small  pictures. 

243.     Quentin  Matsys :    *  St.  Mary  Mag- 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     357 

dalen  with  her  alabaster  box.  Sweet  and 
simple.  In  reality,  portrait  of  an  amiable 
round-faced  Flemish  young  lady,  in  the  char- 
acter of  her  patron  saint.  Her  home  forms  the 
background. 

526  and  538.     Fine  unknown  portraits. 

199.  *  Exquisite  and  delicate  miniature  by 
Hans  Holbein  the  Younger.  (Lafenestre 
doubts  the  attribution.) 

132.  Fouquet,  the  old  French  painter, 
141 5 — 1485.  Hard  old  French  picture  of  a 
Madonna  and  Child,  of  the  regal  French  type, 
with  solid-looking  red  and  blue  cherubs.  Said 
to  be  a  portrait  of  Agnes  Sorel,  mistress  of 
Charles  VH.    From  the  Cathedral  of  Melun. 

Then,  another  case,  containing  six  delicate 
works  of  the  first  importance. 

396.  *  Roger  van  der  Weyden  (more 
probably.  School  of  Van  Eyck)  :  Annuncia- 
tion. The  angel  Gabriel,  in  an  exquisitely 
painted  bluish-white  robe,  has  just  entered. 
Our  Lady  kneels  at  her  prie-dieu  with  her  book. 
In  the  foreground,  the  Annunciation  lily;  be- 
hind, the  bedchamber.  The  Dove  descends 
upon  her  head.  This  is  one  of  the  loveliest 
works  in  the  collection. 


358  Belgium :   Its   Cities 

» 

253.  Memling :  **  Exquisite  portrait  of  a 
Premonstratensian  Canon. 

28.  Dierick  Bouts:  The  Madonna  and 
Child.  An  excellent  specimen  of  his  hard, 
careful  manner. 

203.  Lucas  of  Leyden :  David  playing  be- 
fore Saul. 

30.  Bril,  1556 — 1626.  Fine  miniature 
specimen  of  later  Flemish  landscape,  with  the 
Prodigal   Son  in  the  foreground. 

559.  Unknown  but  admirable  portrait  of 
a  man. 

223.  Justus  van  Ghent:  Nativity,  with 
Adoration  of  the  Shepherds.  A  good  picture, 
full  of  interesting  episodes. 

Beyond  these,  another  case,  containing  fine 
small  works.  A  beautiful  little  *  Madonna 
with  the  Fountain  of  Life  (411)  by  Jan  van 
Eyck,  closely  resembling  a  large  one  by  Meister 
Wilhelm,  in  the  Museum  at  Cologne.  Two 
good  unknown  portraits.  A  splendid  **  por- 
trait of  a  medallist  (5)  by  Antonello  da  Mes- 
sina (sometimes  attributed  to  Memling).  A 
portrait  (33)  of  Francis  IL  of  France  as  a 
child,  by  Clouet,  of  the  old  French  School.  A 
characteristic  *  Albert  Diirer   (124),  portrait 


MEMLING.  —  PORTRAIT    OF   A    PREMONSTRATENSIAN    CANON. 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     359 

of  Frederick  III.  of  Saxony :  and  a  good  Gos- 
saert  (182).  These  do  not  need  description, 
but  should  be  closely  studied. 

The  place  of  honour  on  this  wall  is  occu- 
pied by  393,  a  magnificent  **  Seven  Sacra- 
ments, usually  attributed  to  Roger  van  der 
Weyden,  though  believed  by  some  to  be  a 
work  of  his. master,  Robert  Campin  of  Tour- 
nay.  At  any  rate,  it  is  a  work  full  of  Roger's 
mystic  spirit.  In  form,  it  is  a  triptych,  but 
the  main  subjects  are  continued  through  on  to 
the  wings.  The  central  panel  represents  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Mass,  typified  in  the  fore- 
ground by  a  Crucifixion,  taking  place  in  the 
nave  of  an  unknown  Gothic  church.  At  the 
foot  of  the  cross  are  the  fainting  Madonna, 
supported  by  St.  John  (in  red  as  usual)  and 
a  touching  group  of  the  three  Maries.  The 
robe  of  one  to  the  left  overflows  into  the  next 
panel.  In  the  background,  the  actual  Mass  is 
represented  as  being  celebrated  at  the  High 
Altar.  The  architecture  of  the  church  (with 
its  triforium,  clerestory,  and  apse,  and  its  fine 
reredos  and  screen)  is  well  worth  notice.  So 
are  the  figures  of  Our  Lady,  St.  Peter,  and  St. 
John,  on  the  decorative  work  of  the  screen 


360  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

and  reredos.  I  believe  the  kneeling  figure  be- 
hind the  officiating  priest  to  be  a  portrait  of 
the  donor.  The  side  panels  represent  the  other 
sacraments,  taking  place  in  the  aisles  and  lat- 
eral chapels  of  the  same  church.  To  the  left, 
Baptism,  Confirmation,  Confession;  in  the 
Confirmation,  the  children  go  away  wearing 
the  sacred  bandage.  To  the  right,  Holy 
Orders,  Matrimony,  Extreme  Unction.  Each 
of  these  groups  should  be  carefully  noted. 
The  colours  of  the  angels  above  are  all  sym- 
bolical: —  white  (innocence)  for  Baptism: 
yellow  (initiation)  for  Confirmation:  red 
(love  or  sin)  for  confession  and  absolution: 
green  (hope)  for  the  Eucharist:  purple  (self- 
sacrifice)  for  Holy  Orders:  blue  (fidelity)  for 
Marriage:  violet,  almost  black  (death),  for 
Extreme  Unction.  The  picture  is  full  of  other 
episodes  and  mystical  touches.  In  all  this 
beautiful  and  touching  composition,  the  Mary 
to  the  right  of  the  Cross  is  perhaps  the  most 
lovely  portion.  For  a  fine  criticism,  see  Con- 
way. 

Beyond  this,  another  frame  with  exquisite 
small  works. 

250.     Quentin    Matsys:     Head   of    Christ, 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     3^1 

with  the  Crown  of  Thorns  and  Holy  Blood; 
painful. 

540.  Admirable  unknown  miniature  por- 
trait. 

544.  Excellent  little  St.  Helena. 

542.  A  little  donor,  with  his  patron,  St. 
John. 

204,  205,  206,  Good  Lucas  of  Ley  den,  of 
the  Four  Evangelists  (John,  missing).  Luke, 
with  the  bull,  painting;  Matthew,  with  the 
angel,  and  Mark,  with  the  lion,  writing. 

537.  Admirable  unknown  portrait.  These 
Utile  works  again  need  no  description,  but 
close  study. 

Above  them,  244.  Quentin  Matsys  (?). 
The  Misers,  one  of  the  best  known  of  this  fa- 
vourite subject. 

Then,  another  frame  of  miniatures. 

517,  518.  Unknown  Flemish  fourteenth 
century  Madonna  and  Child,  with  donor  and 
wife. 

541,  542.     Tolerable  portraits. 

545.  Fine  portrait,  of  the  Spanish  period. 
410.     **  Van   Eyck's  celebrated   unfinished 

St.  Barbara,  holding  her  palm  of  martyrdom, 
and  with  her  tower  in  the  background.     It 


362  Belgium :    Its    Cities 

should  be  closely  studied,  both  as  an  indication 
of  the  master's  method,  and  as  a  contemporary 
drawing  illustrating  the  modes  of  mediaeval 
building.    For  a  careful  criticism,  see  Conway. 

Above  these,  Engelbrechtsen,  130.  St.  Hu- 
bert, attired  as  bishop,  bearing  his  crozier  and 
hunting-horn,  and  with  the  stag  beside  him, 
with  the  crucifix  between  its  horns. 

127.  The  same.  St.  Leonard  releasing 
prisoners. 

Then,  another  case  of  good  small  pictures. 

3.  A  Fra  Angelico.  Interesting  in  the  midst 
of  these  Flemish  pictures.  St.  Romuald  re- 
proaching the  Emperor  Otho  III.  for  the 
murder  of  Crescentius. 

32.  Petrus  Christus  (  ?).  A  donor  and  his 
patron,  St.  Jerome. 

64.     A  landscape  by  Patinir. 

536.  A  Baptism  of  Christ,  where  note  the 
conventional  arrangement  and  the  angel  with 
the  robe. 

561.  Triptych.  Madonna  and  Child.  St. 
Christopher,  and  St.  George.  Harsh  and 
angular. 

548.  Mater  Dolorosa,  transpierced  by  the 
sword. 


The  Antwerp   Picture  Gallery     363 

535.     Good  Flemish  Madonna  with  angels. 

207.  Lucas  of  Leyden :  Adoration  of  the 
Magi.  You  can  now  note  for  yourself  the  ox, 
ass,  Joseph,  position,  age,  and  complexion  of 
Kings,  etc. 

29.  Attributed  (doubtfully)  to  Dierick 
Bouts :  St.  Christopher  wading,  with  the  infant 
Christ.  In  the  background,  the  hermit  and 
lantern.     (See  Mrs.  Jameson.) 

176.  Giotto:  A  St.  Paul  with  the  sword. 
Characteristic  of  early  Florentine  work. 

257,  260.  Simone  Martini  of  Siena :  Four 
panels.  Extreme  ends,  **  Annunciation, 
closely  resembling  the  figures  in  the  Ufizzi  at 
Florence:  Annunciations  are  often  thus  di- 
vided into  two  portions.  Centre,  Crucifixion 
and  Descent  from  the  Cross.  These  exquisitely 
finished  little  works  are  full  of  the  tender  and 
delicate  spirit  of  the  early  Sienese  School.  In 
the  Crucifixion,  notice  particularly  the  Mag- 
dalen, and  St.  Longinus  piercing  the  side  of 
Christ.  Our  Lady  in  the  Annunciation  has  the 
fretful  down-drawn  mouth  inherited  by  early 
Italian  art  from  its  Byzantine  teachers. 

177.  Giotto:  St.  Nicolas  of  Myra  with  the 
three  golden  balls,  protecting  a  donor. 


364  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

Above  are  three  good  portraits  by  Van 
Orley,  and  other  works  which  need  no  de^ 
scription. 

On  easels  at  the  end,  255.  Attributed  to 
MemHng :  **  Exquisite  Madonna  and  Child 
in  a  church.  Our  Lady,  arrayed  as  Queen  of 
Heaven,  with  a  pot  of  lilies  before  her,  stands 
in  the  nave  of  a  lovely  early  Gothic  cathedral, 
with  a  later  Decorated  apse,  and  admirable 
rood-screen.  Every  detail  of  the  tiles,  the 
crown,  the  screen,  and  the  robe,  as  well  as  Our 
Lady's  hair  and  hands,  should  be  closely  looked 
into.  This  is  one  of  the  loveliest  pictures  here. 
It  is  a  very  reduced  copy  from  one  by  Jan  van 
Eyck  at  Berlin :  the  church  is  that  of  the  Abbey 
of  the  Dunes  near  Furnes.  Its  attribution  to 
Memling  has  been  disputed :  Conway  believes 
it  to  be  by  a  follower.  In  any  case,  it  is 
lovely. 

256.  **  Companion  panel,  of  the  donor,  a 
Cistercian  Abbot  of  the  Dunes,  in  a  sump- 
tuous room,  half  bedchamber,  half  study,  with 
a  beautiful  fireplace  and  fire.  He  kneels  at  his 
prayers,  having  deposited  his  mitre  on  a  cush- 
ion beside  him,  and  laid  his  crozier  comfortably 
by  the  fireplace.     Creature  comforts  are  not 


The  Antwerp   Picture  Gallery    365 

neglected  on  the  sideboard.  Here  also  every 
decorative  detail  should  be  closely  examined. 
These  are  two  of  the  very  finest  works  of  the 
School  of  Memling.  Probably  the  Abbot  ad- 
mired Jan  van  Eyck's  Madonna,  painted  for  a 
predecessor,  and  asked  for  a  copy,  with  him- 
self in  adoration  on  the  other  wing  of  the 
diptych. 

At  the  back,  on  a  revolving  pivot, 
530,  531.  Christ  blessing,  and  a  Cistercian 
Canon  in  adoration.  As  usual,  the  outer  panels 
are  less  brilliant  in  colouring  than  the  inner. 
Notice  the  Alpha  and  Omega  and  the  P.  and 
F.  (for  Pater  and  Filius)  on  the  curtain  behind 
the  Saviour.  These  works  are  by  an  inferior 
hand. 

The  other  easel  has  a  fine  *  Lucas  van 
Leyden:  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  with  fan- 
tastic elongated  figures.  Note  the  ruined 
temple.  The  other  features  will  now  be  fa- 
miliar. Lucas's  treatment  is  peculiar.  To  the 
left,  St.  George  and  the  Dragon.  The  saint 
has  broken  his  lance  and  attacks  the  fearsome 
beast  with  his  sword.  In  the  background,  the 
Princess  Cleodolind  and  landscape.  To  the 
right,  the  donor,  in  a  rich  furred  robe,  and 


366  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

behind  him,  St.  Margaret  with  her  dragon. 
At  the  back,  wings,  by  the  same,  with  a 
peculiar  Annunciation  (the  wings  being  open, 
reversed  in  order).  Between  them  has  been 
unwisely  inserted  an  Ecce  Homo  by  Gossaert. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

THE  ANTWERP  PICTURE  GALLERY  :    THE  OTHER 
halls:    the  RUBENS  ROOM 

NOW,  go  straight  through  Rooms  H,  F, 
and  E,  to  three  rooms  en  suite,  the  last 
of  which  is  Room  A,  containing  the  Transi- 
tional Pictures.  (It  is  usual  to  skip  these  in- 
sipid works  of  the  intermediate  age,  and  to 
jump  at  once  from  the  School  of  Van  Eyck  to 
the  School  of  Rubens  —  I  think  unwisely  — 
for  Rubens  himself  can  only  properly  be  appre- 
ciated as  the  product  of  an  evolution,  by  the 
light  of  the  two  main  influences  which  affected 
him  —  his  Flemish  masters,  and  his  Italian 
models,  Veronese  and  Giulio  Romano.)  Be- 
gin at  the  far  end,  near  the  lettered  doorway, 
and  note  throughout  the  effort  to  imitate 
Italian  art;  the  endeavour  at  classical  knowl- 
edge; and  the  curious  jumble  of  Flemish  and 
367 


368'  Belgium  ;   Its   Cities 

Tuscan  ideas.  But  the  Flemish  skill  in  por- 
traiture  still  continues. 

698.  Good  portrait  of  Giles  van  Schoon- 
beke,  by  P.  Pourbus. 

Next  to  it,  103,  Martin  De  Vos,  the  Elder : 
St.  Anthony  the  Abbot,  accompanied  by  his 
pig  and  bell,  and  his  usual  tempters,  burying 
the  body  of  St.  Paul  the  Hermit,  whose  grave 
two  lions  are  digging.  To  the  right,  hideous 
Flemish  devils,  grotesquely  horrible.  Above, 
phases  of  the  Temptation  of  St.  Anthony. 

372.  Michael  Coxcie:  Martyrdom  of  St. 
George  —  one  of  his  tortures.  Good  transi- 
tional work,  inspired  by  Italian  feeling. 

^j^.  M.  De  Vos :  Triptych,  painted  for  the 
altar  of  the  Guild  of  Crossbowmen  in  the 
Cathedral.  Centre,  Triumph  of  the  risen 
Christ.  In  the  foreground,  St.  Peter  (keys), 
and  St.  Paul  (sword),  with  open  pages  of 
their  writings.  Left,  St.  George,  patron  of  the 
Crossbowmen,  with  his  banner  and  armour; 
right,  St.  Agnes  with  her  lamb.  Left  panel, 
Baptism  of  Constantine  by  St.  Sylvester. 
Right  panel,  Constantine  ordering  the  erection 
of  the  Church  of  St.  George  at  Constantinople. 
In  the  sky,  the  apparition  of  Our  Lady  to  the 


The  Antwerp   Picture  Gallery     369 

Emperor.  A  gigantic  work,  recalling  the  later 
Italian  Renaissance,  especially  the  Schools  of 
Bronzino  and  Giulio  Romano. 

374.  Michael  Coxcie:  Martyrdom  of  St. 
George;  the  other  wing  of  the  same  triptych 
in  honour  of  St.  George  as  372;  central  por- 
tion lost. 

89.  M.  De  Vos:  St.  Conrad  of  Ascoli,  a 
Franciscan  friar,  in  devout  contemplation  of 
the  founder  of  his  Order,  St.  Francis,  receiv- 
ing the  Stigmata,  Around  it,  small  scenes 
from  the  life  of  St.  Conrad,  unimportant. 
Below,  Devotion  at  the  tomb  of  St.  Conrad: 
royal  personages  praying,  offerings  of  rich 
images,  and  the  sick  healed  by  his  relics.  A 
curious  picture  of  frank  corpse-worship. 

699.     Good  portrait  by  Pourbus. 

576.  Triptych,  unknown.  St.  Eligius  of 
Noyon  (St.  Eloy),  one  of  the  apostles  of 
Brabant,  preaching  to  a  congregation  really 
composed  of  good  local  portraits.  (A  pious 
way  of  having  oneself  painted.)  Right  and 
left,  St.  Eligius  feeding  prisoners,  and  St. 
Eligius  healing  the  sick. 

741.  Another  of  Bernard  van  Orley's 
General  Resurrections,  the  type  of  which  will 


370  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

now  be  familiar  to  you.  In  the  centre, 
strangely  introduced  group  of  portraits  of  the 
donors,  engaged  in  burying  a  friend,  whose 
memory  this  triptych  was  doubtless  intended 
to  commemorate.  On  either  wing,  the  six 
works  of  Mercy  (the  seventh,  burial,  is  in  the 
main  picture). 

yy.  Good  transitional  triptych,  by  M.  De 
Vos,  for  the  Guild  of  Leather-dressers.  Cen- 
tre, The  Incredulity  of  St.  Thomas.  On  the 
wings,  Scenes  from  the  life  of  the  Baptist. 
Left,  Baptism  of  Christ;  where  note  the  per- 
sistence of  the  little  symbolical  Jordan,  with 
angels  almost  inconspicuous.  Right,  The 
Decollation  of  St.  John.  Salome  receiving  his 
head  in  a  charger.  In  the  background, 
Herodias. 

371.  Coxcie  the  Younger:  Martyrdom  of 
St.  Sebastian,  patron  saint  of  Bowmen,  from 
their  altar  in  the  Cathedral.  An  attempt  to 
be  very  Italian.  The  wings  of  this  triptych  are 
by  Francken.  Left,  St.  Sebastian  exhorting 
Marcus  and  Marcellinus  to  go  to  martyrdom. 
Right,  St.  Sebastian  miraculously  healing  the 
dumb  woman,  with  portrait  spectators,  in  dress 
of  the  period,  deeply  interested. 


The  Antwerp   Picture  Gallery     371 

Now  go  on  into  Room  B  (unlettered,  the 
centre  of  the  three).  It  contains  works  of 
an  earlier  period. 

The  left  wall  is  entirely  occupied  by  three 
large  panels  of  a  fine  old  Flemish  fifteenth 
century  picture,  attributed  to  Memling  (and 
apparently  accepted  as  his  by  Lafenestre), 
representing  *  Christ  Enthroned,  with  orb  and 
cross,  surrounded  by  choirs  of  angels;  those 
in  the  central  panel  singing;  the  others,  play- 
ing various  musical  instruments.  This  is  a 
beautiful  work,  but  less  pleasing  than  those 
of  the  same  school  on  a  smaller  scale.  It  has 
been  recently  bought  from  the  monastery  of 
Najera  in  Spain.  It  was  intended,  I  think,  to 
be  seen  at  a  height,  probably  on  an  organ-loft, 
and  loses  by  being  placed  so  near  the  eye  of 
the  spectator. 

The  opposite  wall,  on  the  right,  is  occupied 
by  245,  Quentin  Matsys's  masterpiece,  the  trip- 
tych of  **  the  Entombment,  painted  for  the 
altar  of  the  Guild  of  Cabinet-makers.  The  col- 
ouring is  much  more  pleasing  than  in  the 
Family  of  St.  Anne  at  Brussels.  Central 
panel.  The  Entombment.  Nicodemus  supports 
the  emaciated  body  of  the  dead  Saviour,  while 


'^J2  Belgium ;    Its  Cities 

Joseph  of  Arimathea  wipes  the  marks  of  the 
crown  of  thorns  from  his  head.  The  worn 
body  itself,  with  a  face  of  pathetic  suffering, 
lies  on  the  usual  white  sheet  in  the  foreground. 
At  the  foot,  Mary  Magdalen,  with  her  pot  of 
ointment  and  long  fair  hair,  strokes  the  body 
tenderly.  In  the  centre  is  the  fainting  Ma- 
donna, supported,  as  always,  by  St.  John,  in 
his  red  robe.  Behind  are  the  three  Maries. 
The  usual  attendant  (a  ruffianly  Fleming,  in 
a  queer  turban-like  cap)  holds  the  crown  of 
thorns.  At  the  back,  preparations  for  the 
actual  placing  in  the  sepulchre.  In  the  back- 
ground, Calvary. 

The  wings  have  scenes  from  the  lives  of  the 
two  St.  Johns.  The  left  wing,  the  daughter 
of  Herodias,  a  very  mincing  young  lady,  in 
a  gorgeous  dress,  brings  the  head  of  St.  John 
the  Baptist  on  a  charger  to  her  mother  and  a 
fiercely-bearded  Herod.  The  queen  appears 
to  be  about  to  carve  it.  Above,  a  gallery  of 
minstrels.  Admirable  drapery  and  accessories. 
The  right  wing  has  the  so-called  Martyrdom 
of  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  in  the  cauldron  of 
boiling  oil,  with  a  delightful  boy  spectator 
looking  on  in  a  tree.    The  Emperor  Domitian 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     373 

(older  than  history),  on  a  white  horse,  behind. 
Flemish  varlets  stir  the  fire  lustily.  This  noble 
work  originally  decorated  the  altar  in  the 
Chapel  of  the  Menuisiers  of  Antwerp  in  the 
Cathedral. 

On  easels,  649,  Claeissens :  Triptych  of  the 
Crucifixion,  with  the  Way  to  Calvary  and  the 
Resurrection.     Elongated,   attenuated  figures. 

680.  Giles  Mostaert  (the  elder)  :  Singular 
complex  picture,  painted  for  the  Hospital  of 
Antwerp;  representing,  above,  The  General 
Resurrection :  Christ  enthroned  between  Our 
Lady  and  St.  John-Baptist.  Beneath,  naked 
souls  rising  from  the  tomb.  To  the  left,  St. 
Peter  welcomes  the  just  at  the  gate  of  the 
Celestial  City.  To  the  right,  devils  drive  the 
wicked  into  the  gaping  jaws  of  Hell.  Beneath, 
the  courses  that  lead  to  either  end :  the  Seven 
Works  of  Mercy,  inspired  by  the  Redeemer, 
and  the  Seven  Deadly  Sins,  suggested  by 
devils.  I  will  leave  you  to  identify  them  (it 
is  easy). 

Go  on  into  Room  D,  containing  more  works 
of  the  Transition.  These  large  altar-pieces 
of  the  early  seventeenth  century,  the  period  of 
the  greatest  wealth  in  Antwerp,  though  often 


374  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

frigid,  as  works  of  art,  are  at  least  interesting 
as  showing  the  opulence  and  the  tastes  of  the 
Antwerp  guilds  during  the  epoch  of  the  Span- 
ish domination.  They  are  adapted  to  the  huge 
Renaissance  churches  then  erected,  as  the 
smaller  triptychs  of  the  fifteenth  century  were 
adapted  to  the  smaller  Gothic  altars. 

529.  Feast  of  Archers,  with  the  King  of 
the  Archers  enthroned  in  the  background. 

696,  697.     Tolerable  portraits  by  Pourbus. 

183.     A  Madonna  by  Gossaert. 

1 14.  Frans  Floris :  St.  Luke  painting,  with 
his  bull  most  realistically  assisting,  and  his 
workman  grinding  his  colours.  From  the 
old  Academy  of  Painters,  whose  patron  was 
St.  Luke.     Italian  influence. 

135.  Ambrose  Francken:  Loaves  and 
fishes. 

148.  The  same.  Decollation  of  St.  Cosmo 
and  St.  Damian:  painted  for  the  Guild  of 
Physicians,  of  whom  these  were  the  patron 
saints. 

357.  A  splendid  and  luminous  Titian,  in 
the  curious  courtly  ceremonial  manner  of  the 
Venetian  painters.  **  Pope  Alexander  VL 
(Borgia),  in  a  beautiful  green  dalmatic,  intro- 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     375 

ducing  to  the  enthroned  St,  Peter  his  friend, 
Giovanni  Sforza  da  Pesaro,  Bishop  of  Paphos, 
and  admiral  of  the  Pope's  fleet.  At  the 
bishop's  feet  Hes  his  helmet,  to  show  his  double 
character  as  priest  and  warrior.  He  grasps 
the  banner  of  the  Borgias  and  of  the  Holy- 
Church,  In  the  background  (to  show  who  he 
is),  the  sea  and  fleet.  St,  Peter's  red  robe  is 
splendid.  The  Venetians  frequently  paint 
similar  subjects,  — "  Allow  me  to  introduce 
to  your  Sainthood,"  etc.  This  is  a  fine  work 
in  Titian's  early  harder  manner,  still  some- 
what reminiscent  of  the  School  of  Bellini,  Its 
glorious  but  delicate  colour  comes  out  all  the 
better  for  the  crudity  of  the  works  around  it. 

146,  Ambrose  Francken :  St,  Cosmo  and 
St,  Damian,  the  Doctor  Saints,  amputating  an 
injured  leg,  and  replacing  it  by  the  leg  of  a 
dead  Moor,  In  the  background,  other  epi- 
sodes of  their  profession,  (Wing  of  the  trip- 
tych for  the  Guild  of  Physicians,) 

83,  M.  De  Vos  :  Triptych,  painted  for  the 
Guild  of  the  Mint,  and  allusive  to  their  func- 
tions. Centre,  The  Tribute  Money.  "  Render 
unto  Caesar,"  etc.,  with  tempting  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees,  and  Roman  soldiers.     In  the 


376  Belgium  :    Its  Cities 

foreground,  St.  Peter  in  blue  and  yellow,  with 
his  daughter  Petronilla.  Left  wing:  Peter, 
similarly  habited,  finds  the  tribute  money  in 
the  fish's  mouth.  Right  wing :  The  Widow's 
Mite.  (The  French  titles,  "  Le  Denier  de 
Cesar,"  "  Le  Denier  du  Tribut,"  "  Le  Denier 
de  la  Veuve,"  bring  out  the  allusion  better.) 

88.  M.  De  Vos:  St.  Luke  painting  Our 
Lady,  with  his  bull,  as  ever,  in  attendance. 
The  wings  by  others.  Left,  St.  Luke  preach- 
ing. Right,  St.  Paul  before  Felix.  From  the 
altar  of  the  (painters')  Confraternity  of  St. 
Luke  in  the  Cathedral. 

113.  Frans  Floris :  Adoration  of  the  Shep- 
herds. Note  persistence  of  formal  elements 
from  old  School,  with  complete  transformation 
of  spirit. 

112.  Frans  Floris's  horrible  St.  Michael 
conquering  the  devils;  the  most  repulsive  pic- 
ture by  this  repulsive  and  exaggerated  master. 

Right  and  left  of  it,  good  late  Flemish  por- 
traits of  donors. 

663.     Floris :   Judgment  of  Solomon. 

483.  Portrait  of  Van  Veen,  Rubens's 
master. 

Room  E  contains  chiefly  works  of  the  School 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery    377 

of  Rubens,  most  of  which  can  now  be  satisfac- 
torily comprehended  by  the  reader  without 
much  explanation.  I  will  therefore  treat  them 
briefly. 

265.  Murillo  (Spanish  School).  St. 
Francis.  A  reminiscence  of  the  older  subject 
of  his  receiving  the  Stigmata.  It  has  the 
showy  and  affected  pietism  of  the  Spaniards. 
A  mere  study. 

439.     An  Adoration,  by  Van  Mol,  and 

82.  A  Nativity,  by  De  Vos,  can  be  instruct- 
ively compared  with  earlier  examples. 

775.     Fine  unknown  Flemish  portrait. 

57.     Good   seventeenth   century   landscape. 

722  and  724.     Capital  portraits. 

655.  Another  Last  Judgment.  Beyond, 
good  fruit  and  flower-pieces  by  *  Seghers 
(framing  an  Ignatius  Loyola)  and  De  Rijng. 

660,  661.       Tolerable  portraits  by  Cocx. 

726.     Teniers  the  Younger  :    The  Duet. 

Beyond  this,  several  small  Flemish  works,  of 
which  348  and  728  are  specially  noteworthy. 

712.     Rubens :    St.   Dominic. 

642.  Attributed  to  Brueghel:  Paying 
tithes.     Still  life,  etc. 

Room  F  contains  nothing  which  the  reader 


37^  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

cannot  adequately  understand  for  himself. 
Omit  Room  G  for  the  present  (it  contains  the 
Dutch  Masters),  and  turn  instead  into  Room 
H,  mostly  devoted  to  works  of  the  School  of 
Rubens. 

End  Wall,  305.  Rubens :  *  The  Last  Com- 
munion of  the  dying  St.  Francis  of  Assisi.  A 
famous  work,  in  unusually  low  tones  of  colour 
—  scarcely  more  than  chiaroscuro.  St.  Fran- 
cis, almost  nude,  is  supported  by  his  friars. 
Above,  angels,  now  reduced  to  cherubs,  wait 
to  convey  his  soul  to  Heaven.  Painted  for 
the  altar  of  St.  Francis  in  the  Franciscan 
Church  of  the  Recollefs.  See  it  from  the  far 
end  of  the  room,  where  it  becomes  much  more 
luminous. 

On  either  side,  662,  good  portrait  by  S.  De 
Vos  (himself,  dashing  and  vigorous:  every 
inch  an  artist)  :  and  706,  admirable  *  portrait 
by  Rubens  of  Gaspard  Gevaerts,  town  secre- 
tary.   The  bust  is  Marcus  Aurelius. 

Left  Wall,  109.  Fine  portrait  of  a  well- 
fed  Flemish  merchant,  William  van  Meerbeck, 
by  C.  De  Vos.  Behind  him  his  patron,  St. 
William. 

403.      Van     Dyck's     *  Entombment     (or 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallerj     379 

Pieta),  often  called  Descent  from  the  Cross. 
Tills  is  one  of  his  noblest  pictures,  but  badly 
restored. 

335.  Angry  swans  disturbed  by  dogs. 
Snyders. 

215.  Jordaens:  Last  Supper.  The  effect 
of  gloom  somewhat  foreshadows  Rembrandt. 

401.  Van  Dyck:  **  A  Dominican  picture 
(Guiffrey  calls  it  "  cold  and  empty  ''),  painted 
at  his  father's  dying  wish  for  the  Dominican 
Nunnery  at  Antwerp.  The  two  great  saints 
of  the  Order,  St.  Dominic,  the  founder,  and 
St.  Catherine  of  Assisi,  the  originator  of  the 
female  branch,  stand  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross, 
which  is  itself  a  secondary  object  in  the  picture. 
St.  Dominic  looks  up  in  adoration ;  St.  Cather- 
ine, wearing  the  crown  of  thorns,  fervently 
embraces  the  feet  of  the  Saviour.  On  the 
base,  a  child  angel,  in  a  high  unearthly  light, 
with  a  half-extinguished  torch,  points  with 
hope  to  the  figure  of  the  crucified  Lord.  The 
whole  is  emblematic  of  belief  in  a  glorious 
Resurrection,  through  the  aid  of  the  Domini- 
can prayers.  Interesting  inscription  on  the 
rock :  "  Lest  earth  should  weigh  too  heavily 
on  his  father's  soul,  A.  van  Dyck  rolled  this 


380  Belgium  :    Its   Cities 

stone  to  the  foot  of  the  Cross,  and  placed  it 
in  this  spot." 

677.  Jordaens :  **  Charming  family  scene, 
known  by  the  title  of  "  As  sing  the  Old,  so 
pipe  the  Young."  Three  generations  —  grand- 
parents, parents,  and  children  —  engaged  in 
music  together.  Very  catching :  a  most  popu- 
lar picture. 

734.  Good  *  portrait  of  a  priest,  by  Van 
Dyck. 

402.  Fine  *  portrait  of  a  bishop  of  Ant- 
werp, by  Van  Dyck. 

708.  One  of  the  best  *  portraits  by  Rubens 
in  the  Gallery :  subject  unknown :  lacks  per- 
sonal dignity,  but  Rubens  has  made  the  most 
of  him. 

This  room  also  contains  several  other  excel- 
lent works  of  the  School  of  Rubens  or  his 
more  or  less  remote  followers,  which  I  need 
not  particularize. 

Now  continue  into  Room  I,  containing  what 
are  considered  to  be  the  gems  among  the 
Rubenses  and  the  later  pictures. 

Right  of  the  door,  Schut,  327  :  The  Behead- 
ing of  St.  George.  A  pagan  priest,  behind, 
endeavours  to  make  him  worship  an  image  of 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     381 

Apollo.  Above,  angels  wait  to  convey  his  soul 
to  Heaven,  This  is  a  somewhat  confused  pic- 
ture, with  a  spacious  composition  and  a  fine 
luminous  foreground;  it  is  considered  its 
painter's  masterpiece.  Intended  for  the  altar 
of  the  Archers  (whose  patron  was  St.  George), 
in  Antwerp  Cathedral. 

Beneath  it,  644.  P.  Brueghel  the  Younger : 
A  village  merrymaking  ("  Kermesse  Fla- 
mande")  with  more  than  the  usual  vulgarity 
of  episode. 

673.     Good  still  life  by  Gysels. 

669.  F.  Francken  :  Portraits  of  a  wealthy 
family  in  their  own  picture  gallery. 

107.  C.  De  Vos :  *  Portraits  of  the  Snoek 
family,  in  devotion  to  St.  Norbert.  This  pic- 
ture requires  a  little  explanation.  St.  Norbert 
was  the  Catholic  antagonist  of  the  heretic 
Tankelin  at  Antwerp  in  the  twelfth  century. 
In  this  frankly  anachronistic  picture  the  Snoek 
family  of  the  seventeenth  century,  portly,  well- 
fed  burghers,  are  represented  restoring  to  the 
mediaeval  saint  the  monstrance  and  other 
church  vessels  removed  from  his  church  dur- 
ing the  Calvinist  troubles.  The  Snoeks  are 
living  personages;    the  Saint  is  envisaged  as 


382  Belgium  :   Its   .Cities 

a  heavenly  character.  It  is,  in  short,  a  highly 
allegorical  picture  of  the  family  showing  their 
devotion  to  true  Catholicism,  and  their  de- 
testation of  current  heresy.  In  the  background 
stands  the  town  of  Antwerp,  with  the  Cathe- 
dral and  St.  Michael.  (From  the  burial  chapel 
of  the  Snoek  family  at  St.  Michael.)  There 
is  a  Brueghel  in  Brussels  Museum,  represent- 
ing St.  Norbert  preaching  against  Tankelin. 

Beyond  the  door,  unnumbered,  *  fine  farm- 
yard scene  by  Rubens,  with  the  story  of  the 
Prodigal  Son  in  the  foreground.  One  of  the 
many  signs  of  his  extraordinary  versatility. 

404.  Van  Dyck :  **  Pieta,  altar-piece  for 
a  chapel  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Seven  Sorrows, 
Our  Lady  holds  on  her  lap  the  dead  Christ, 
while  St.  John  points  out  with  his  finger  the 
wound  in  His  hand  to  pitying  angels.  All  the 
formal  elements  in  this  scene  —  Our  Lady, 
St.  John,  the  angels,  etc.  —  belong  to  the 
earlier  conception  of  the  Pieta,  but  all  have 
been  entirely  transfigured  by  Van  Dyck  in 
accordance  partly  with  the  conceptions  of  the 
School  of  Rubens,  though  still  more  with  his 
own  peculiar  imagination.  It  is  interesting, 
however,  to  note  in  this  touching  and  beautiful 


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RUBENS.  —  COUP    DE    LANCE. 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery    383 

picture,  full  of  deep  feeling,  how  far  the  type 
of  the  St.  John  has  been  inherited,  remotely, 
from  the  School  of  Van  der  Weyden.  Even 
the  red  robe  and  long  hair  persist.  The 
features,  too,  are  those  with  which  we  are 
familiar.  This  is  one  of  the  gems  of  the 
collection.  It  shows  the  direct  influence  of 
Italian  travel  modifying  Van  Dyck's  style, 
acquired  from  Rubens. 

Beyond,  on  either  side  of  the  great  Rubens, 
to  be  noticed  presently,  are  two  pictures  by 
his  master,  Otto  van  Veen:  480,  The  Calling 
of  Matthew,  and  479,  Zacchaeus  in  the  Fig- 
Tree.  These  two  careful  works  recall  the  later 
Italian  Schools,  more  particularly  Titian,  and 
are  good  examples  of  that  careful  academic 
transitional  Flemish  art  which  Rubens  was  to 
transform  and  revivify  by  the  strength  of  his 
own  exuberant  and  powerful  personality.  They 
are  admirably  placed  here  for  comparison 
with 

297.  Rubens's  famous  altar-piece  of  the  Cru- 
cifixion, for  the  Church  of  the  Franciscans, 
commonly  known  as  the  **  Coup  de  Lance. 
In  this  splendid  work  Rubens  is  seen  in  one 
of  his    finest  embodiments.       ("  Incoherent,'* 


384  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

says  Fromentin.)  The  figure  of  the  dying 
Christ  has  fine  virility.  St.  Longinus,  to  the 
left,  on  a  white  horse,  is  in  the  very  act  of  pierc- 
ing his  side.  The  Magdalen,  embracing  the 
foot  of  the  Cross,  as  ever^  throws  up  her  arms 
with  supplicating  gesture.  To  the  right  are 
the  Madonna  in  blue,  and  St.  John  in  red,  as 
always.  Behind,  a  soldier  is  engaged  in  break- 
ing the  limbs  of  the  Impenitent  Thief  (always 
on  Christ's  left)  who  writhes  in  his  torture. 
The  whole  work  is  full  of  Rubens's  life  and 
bustle,  well  contrasted  with  the  academic  calm 
of  the  Van  Veens  beside  it.  Even  those  who 
do  not  love  Rubens  (and  I  confess  I  am  of 
them)  must  see  in  such  a  work  as  this  how  his 
great  powers  succeeded  in  effects  at  which  his 
contemporaries  aimed  ineffectually.  Boldly 
dramatic,  but  not  sacred. 

300.  **  Triptych  by  Rubens,  commonly 
known  as  the  Christ  a  la  Faille,  painted  for  a 
tomb  in  the  Cathedral  (compare  the  Moretus 
one).  In  the  centre  is  a  Fieta:  Joseph  of 
Arimathea  supporting  the  dead  body  of  the 
Christ  on  the  edge  of  a  stone  covered  with 
straw.  Behind,  Our  Lady  and  another  Mary, 
with  the  face  of  St.  John  just  appearing  in 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     385 

the  background.  This  "  too  famous  "  work 
is  rather  a  study  of  the  dead  nude  than  a 
really  sacred  picture.  Some  of  its  details  over- 
step the  justifiable  limits  of  horror.  The  wings 
are  occupied  by  (the  left),  a  so-called  Madonna 
and  Child,  really  a  portrait  of  a  lady  and  boy 
—  (his  wife  and  son?)  :  (the  right),  St.  John 
the  Evangelist  (patron  of  the  person  for  whose 
tomb  it  was  painted),  accompanied  by  his 
eagle. 

104.  C.  De  Vos:  Admirable  and  lifelike 
**  portrait  of  the  messenger  or  porter  of  the 
Guild  of  St.  Luke,  the  Society  of  Painters  of 
Antwerp,  exhibiting  the  plate  belonging  to  his 
confraternity.  He  is  covered  with  medals, 
which  are  the  property  of  the  Society,  and  has 
the  air  of  a  shrewd  and  faithful  servant. 
This  living  presentment  of  a  real  man  is  de- 
servedly popular. 

171.  J.  Fyt:  Excellent  screaming  eagles, 
with  a  dead  duck.  One  of  the  earliest  and  best 
presentations  of  wild  life  at  home. 

The  rest  of  this  wall  is  occupied  by  some 
tolerable  gigantic  altar-pieces  and  other  good 
works  of  the  School  of  Rubens.  Most  of 
them   derive  their   chief   interest   from   their 


386  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

evident  inferiority  in  design  and  colour  to  the 
handicraft  of  the  Master.  They  are  the  very 
same  thing  —  with  the  genius  omitted. 

End  v^all,  314,  Rubens:  called  the  *  Holy 
Trinity.  The  Almighty  supports  on  His  knees 
the  figure  of  the  dead  Christ.  Behind,  hovers 
the  Holy  Ghost.  On  either  side,  boy  angels 
hold  the  crown  of  thorns,  the  three  nails,  and 
the  other  implements  of  the  Passion.  This  is 
really  a  study  in  the  science  of  foreshortening, 
and  in  the  painting  of  the  dead  nude,  largely 
suggested,  I  believe,  by  a  still  more  unpleasing 
Mantegna  in  the  Brera  at  Milan. 

719.  Above.  Excellent  fishmongery  by 
Snyders. 

212.  Janssens:  The  Schelde  bringing 
wealth  to  Antwerp,  in  the  allegorical  taste  of 
the  period. 

1 72.    Fyt :   Excellent  dogs  and  game. 

299.  Rubens :  An  **  allegorical  picture  to 
enforce  the  efficacy  ©f  the  prayers  of  St 
Theresa.  The  foundress  of  the  Scalzi,  dressed 
in  the  sober  robe  of  her  Carmelite  Order,  is 
interceding  with  Christ  for  the  soul  of  Ber- 
nardino de  Mendoza,  the  founder  of  a  Car- 
melite convent  at  Valladolid.    Below,  souls  in 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     387 

Purgatory.  In  the  left-hand  corner  stands 
Bernardino,  whom,  at  St.  T!heresa's  prayer, 
angels  are  helping  to  escape  from  torment.  A 
fine  luminous  picture  of  a  most  unpleasing 
subject.  Painted  for  the  altar  of  St.  Theresa 
in  the  church  of  her  own  barefooted  Carmel- 
ites. 

405.  Van  Dyck:  Magnificent  portrait  of 
Cesare  Alessandro  Scaglia,  in  black  ecclesiasti- 
cal robes,  with  lace  cuffs  and  collar,  and  the 
almost  womanish  delicate  hands  of  a  diplo- 
matic, astute,  couriier-like  ecclesiastic.  The 
thoughtful  eyes  and  resolute  face  might  be- 
long to  a  Richelieu. 

305.  Rubens :  **  The  Education  of  the 
Virgin,  painted  for  a  chapel  of  St.  Anne.  A 
charming  domestic  picture  of  a  wealthy  young 
lady  of  Flanders,  pretending  to  be  Our  Lady, 
in  a  beautifully-painted  white  silk  gown.  Be- 
side her,  her  mother,  a  well-preserved  St. 
Anne,  of  aristocratic  matronly  dignity.  Be- 
hind is  St.  Joachim,  and  above,  two  light  little 
baby  angels.  The  feeling  of  the  whole  is 
graceful  courtly-domestic. 

53.     De  Crayer:    Elijah  fed  by  ravens. 

481,  482.     Two  scenes  from  the  life  of  St. 


388  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

Nicholas,  by  Van  Veen,  the  master  of  Rubens. 
On  the  right,  he  throws  through  a  window 
three  purses  of  gold  as  dowries  for  the  three 
starving  daughters  of  a  poor  nobleman.  (This 
ornate  treatment  contrasts  wonderfully  with 
the  simpler  early  Italian  pictures  of  the  same 
subject.)  On  the  left,  he  brings  corn  for  the 
starving  poor  of  Myra.  Both  pictures  repre- 
sent the  bourgeois  saint  in  his  favourite  char- 
acter of  the  benefactor  of  the  poor.  They 
are  here  well  placed  for  rx>ntrast  with 

298.  Rubens  :  **  Adoration  of  the  Magi, 
considered  to  be  his  finest  embodiment  of  this 
favourite  subject,  and  one  of  his  masterpieces. 
To  the  right.  Our  Lady  and  Child,  with  the 
ox  in  the  foreground,  and  St.  Joseph  behind 
her.  To  the  left,  two  kings  make  their  offer- 
ings. Behind  them,  the  third,  a  Moor,  in  an 
Algerian  costume,  leering  horribly.  Above, 
the  ruined  temple,  the  shed,  and  the  camels. 
M.  Max  Rooses  calls  this  work  "  the  chef 
d'cciizre  by  which  Rubens  inaugurated  his  third 
manner,"  and  other  critics  praise  loudly  its 
gorgeous  colouring,  its  audacious  composition, 
its  marvellous  certainty.  To  me,  the  great 
canvas,  with  its  hideous  ogling  Moor,  is  simply 


The  Antwerp   Picture  Gallery     389 

unendurable;   but  I  give  the  gist  of  authorita- 
tive opinion. 

312.  Rubens:  *  The  Holy  Family,  known 
as  La  Vierge  au  Perroquet.  It  is  chiefly  re- 
markable as  a  rich  and  gorgeous  piece  of  col- 
ouring, with  a  charming  nude  boy  of  delicious 
innocence. 

313.  Rubens:  *  Crucifixion.  One  of  his 
best  embodiments  of  this  subject. 

214.    Jordaens:   Pharaoh  in  the  Red  Sea. 

370.  Van  Cortbemde:  The  Good  Samari- 
tan, pouring  in  oil  and  wine  in  a  most  literal 
sense.  In  the  background,  the  priest  and  the 
Levite. 

The  whole  of  this  room  contains  several  other 
excellent  altar-pieces,  many  of  which  are  Fran- 
ciscan. One  of  the  best  is  381,  Van  Hoeck, 
Madonna  and  Child,  with  St.  Francis,  from 
the  Franciscan  Church  of  the  Recollets. 

Now  enter  Room  J.  - 

Right  and  left  of  door,  105  and  105 A,  C. 
De  Vos :  Portraits  of  a  husband  and  wife, 
with  their  sons  and  daughters. 

315.  Rubens:  Small  .copy  (with  varia- 
tions) of  the  Descent  from  the  Cross  in  the 
Cathedral  (by  a  pupil). 


390  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

307.  Rubens :  **  Triptych,  to  adorn  a 
tomb,  for  the  funerary  chapel  of  his  friend 
Rockox.  Compare,  for  size  and  purpose,  the 
Moretus  tomb  in  the  Cathedral.  It  shows 
the  painter's  early  careful  manner,  and  repre- 
sents in  its  central  piece  the  Incredulity  of  St. 
Thomas.  On  the  Wings,  the  Burgomaster 
Nicolas  Rockox,  and  his  wife,''for  whose  tomb 
it  was  painted.  The  wings  are  finer  than  the 
central  portion.  This  early  work,  still  recall- 
ing Van  Veen's  academic  tone,  should  be  com- 
pared with  the  Van  Veens  and  also  with  Ru- 
bens's  fine  portrait  of  himself  and  his  brother, 
with  Lipsius  and  Grotius,  in  the  Pitti  at  Flor- 
ence. It  marks  the  earliest  age,  when  he  was 
still  content  with  comparatively  small  sizes, 
and  gave  greater  elaboration  to  his  work,  but 
without  his  later  dash  and  vigour.  M.  Rooses 
thinks  ill  of  it. 

22.     Good  portraits  by  Boeyermans. 

748.     Van  Thulden :    Continence  of  Scipio. 

709.  Rubens,  partly  made  up:  Jupiter  and 
Antiope.  A  mythological  subject,  treated  in  a 
somewhat  Italian  style,  with  a  quaint  little 
huddling  Cupid  in  the  foreground. 

Beyond  this,  three  designs  by  Rubens  for 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     391 

Triumphal  Cars  and  Arches,  on  the  occasion 
of  the  entry  of  Ferdinand  of  Austria  in  1635. 

406.  Van  Dyck's  noble  **  Crucifixion, 
with  the  sun  and  moon  darkened.  One  of  his 
most  admirable  pictures. 

Room  N  contains  several  good  portraits  and 
views  of  the  town  and  other  places,  of  the 
seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  many  of 
them  excellent  as  studies  of  Old  Antwerp,  en- 
abling us  to  appreciate  the  greatness  of  the 
architectural  losses  which  the  city  has  sustained. 
These,  however,  are  essentially  works  for  the 
visitor  to  inspect  at  his  leisure.  They  need 
little  or  no  explanation. 

Room  O,  beyond,  has  a  good  copy,  413,  etc., 
of  the  Adoration  of  the  Lamb  at  Ghent,  useful 
for  filling  up  the  gaps  in  your  knowledge,  and 
more  readily  inspected  at  leisure  and  from  a 
nearer  point  of  view  than  the  original.  The 
portraits  and  battle  scenes  on  the  remaining 
walls  need  little  comment. 

Now  return  to  Room  G,  containing  the 
Dutch  Pictures.  Many  of  these  are  master- 
pieces of  their  sort,  but  need  here  little  save 
enumeration.  The  Reformation  turned  Dutch 
art     entirely     upon     portraiture,     landscape, 


392  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

and  domestic  scenes.  Dutch  art  is  frankly 
modern. 

Right  of  the  door,  768,  Van  der  Velde: 
Fine  landscape,  with  cows. 

773.     A  fine  Wynants. 

293.  Rembrandt :  **  Admirable  portrait  of 
his  wife,  Saskia;  almost  a  replica  of  the  one 
at  Cassel,  perhaps  either  painted  by  a  pupil, 
or  else  from  memory  after  her  death,  and 
badly  restored.    It  breathes  Dutch  modesty. 

427.    Flowers  by  Van  Huysum. 

705.  Excellent  *  portrait  of  a  Burgomaster, 
by  Rembrandt. 

349,  Terburg :  *  Girl  playing  a  mando- 
line. 

628,  Unknown:  perhaps  Frans  Hals:  Ex- 
cellent portrait  of  a  calm  old  lady. 

668.  Karel  du  Jardin:  Admirable  land- 
scape, with  cows. 

Above  it,  188,  celebrated  and  vigorous 
**  Fisher-boy  of  Haarlem,  with  a  basket,  by 
Frans  Hals,  rapidly  touched  with  the  hand  of 
a  master. 

738.    Venus  and  Cupid,  by  W.  van  Mieris. 

399.  W.  van  de  Velde  the  younger :  Calm 
sea,  with  ships. 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery     393 

Beyond  the  door  a  number  of  excellent  small 
pieces,  including  two  good  characters  by  Rem- 
brandt—  a  beautiful  little  Wynants,  402,  and 
a  charming  Schalken,  324. 

437.  Excellent  fishmonger,  by  W.  van 
Mieris. 

319.  Rubens  and  Brueghel:  Small  copy  of 
the  Dead  Christ. 

382.    B.  van  der  Heist :  Child  with  a  dog. 

338.  Jan  Steen:  Samson  and  the  Philis- 
tines, as  Jan  Steen  imaged  it. 

398.     Admirable  cows,  by  A.  van  de  Velde. 

466.    *  The  Smoker,  by  A.  van  Ostade. 

767.  Admirable  calm  sea-piece,  by  Van  der 
Capelle. 

679.     Some  of  Molenaer's  peasant  folk. 

682.  Arch  and  charming  portrait,  by 
Mytens. 

339.  One  of  Jan  Steen's  village  merry- 
makings. 

674.  Admirable  *  portrait,  by  Frans  Hals, 
of  a  round-faced,  full-blooded,  sensuous  Dutch 
gentleman.     Full  of  dash  and  vigour. 

675.  A  mill,  by  Hobbema. 

752.  Weenix  poaching  on  Hondecoeter's 
preserves. 


394  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

26.  Delicate  soft  landscape,  by  J.  and  A. 
Both. 

713.     Ruysdael:   *  Waterfall  in  Norway. 

The  room  is  full  of  other  fine  and  delicately- 
finished  pictures  of  the  Dutch  School,  of  which 
I  say  nothing,  only  because  they  are  of  the 
kind  which  are  to  be  appreciated  by  careful 
examination,  and  which  do  not  need  explana- 
tion or  description. 

Room  K  contains  Flemish  works  of  the 
later  School  of  Rubens  and  the  beginning  of 
the  decadence. 

The  remaining  rooms  of  the  Gallery  have 
modern  pictures,  belonging  to  the  historical 
and  to  the  archaic  Schools  of  Antwerp.  These 
works  lie  without  the  scope  of  the  present 
Guides,  but  many  of  them  are  of  the  highest 
order  of  merit,  and  they  well  deserve  attention 
both  for  their  own  intrinsic  excellence  and  for 
comparison  with  the  works  of  the  fifteenth  and 
early  sixteenth  centuries  on  which  they  are 
based.  The  paintings  of  Leys  and  his  fol- 
lowers, in  particular,  are  especially  worth  con- 
sideration in  this  connection.  These  painters 
have  faithfully  endeavoured  to  revert  to  the 
principles    and    methods    of   the    great    early 


The  Antwerp  Picture  Gallery    395 

Flemish  Masters,  and  though  their  work  has 
often  the  almost  inevitable  faults  and  failings 
of  a  revival,  it  cannot  fail  to  interest  those 
who  have  drunk  in  the  spirit  of  Van  Eyck  and 
Memling. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

THE   TOWN    OF    ANTWERP    IN    GENERAL 

MEDIAEVAL  Antwerp,  now  no  more,  lay 
within  a  narrow  ring  of  walls  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Cathedral.  Its  circum- 
ference formed  a  rough  semicircle,  whose 
base-line  was  the  Schelde,  while  its  outer  walls 
may  still  be  traced  on  a  good  map  about  the 
Rempart  Ste.  Catherine  and  the  Rempart  du 
Lombard.  This  oldest  district  still  remains  on 
the  whole  an  intricate  tangle  of  narrow  and 
tortuous  streets,  with  a  few  ancient  buildings. 
Later  Renaissance  Antwerp  stretched  to  the 
limit  of  the  existing  Avenues  in  their  northern 
part,  though  the  southern  portion  (from  the 
Place  Leopold  on)  extends  beyond  the  bound- 
ary of  the  seventeenth  century  city,  and  occu- 
pies   the    site   of   the   huge    demolished    Old 

Citadel,   built  by  Alva.     Antwerp,   however, 
396 


The  Town  of  Antwerp         397 

has  undergone  so  many  changes,  and  so  few 
rehcs  of  the  mediaeval  age  now  survive,  that 
I  can  hardly  apply  to  its  growth  the  historical 
method  I  have  employed  in  other  Belgian 
towns.  It  will  be  necessary  here  merely  to 
point  out  the  principal  existing  objects  of  inter- 
est, without  connecting  them  into  definite  ex- 
cursions. 

The  centre  of  mediaeval  Antwerp  was  the 
Grand'  Place,  which  may  be  reached  from  the 
Place  Verte,  through  the  little  triangular 
Marche  aux  Gants,  in  front  of  the  main 
facade  of  the  Cathedral.  It  was,  however,  so 
entirely  modernized  under  the  Spanish  regime 
that  it  now  possesses  very  little  interest.  The 
west  side  of  the  square  is  entirely  occupied  by 
the  H6tel-de-Ville,  a  poor  Renaissance  build- 
ing, which  looks  very  weak  after  the  magnifi- 
cent Gothic  Town-Halls  of  Bruges,  Ghent, 
Brussels,  and  Louvain.  The  fagade  is  ex- 
tremely plain,  not  to  say  domestic.  The 
ground  floor  has  an  arcade  in  imitation  of 
Italian  rustica  work,  above  which  come  two 
stories  with  Doric  and  Ionic  columns  (and 
Corinthian  in  the  centre) ;  the  top  floor  being 
occupied  by  an   open  loggia,  supporting  the 


39^  Belgium  ;  Its  Cities 

roof.  In  the  centre,  where  we  might  expect  a 
spire,  rises  a  false  gable-end,  architecturally 
meaningless.  The  niche  in  the  gable  is  occu- 
pied by  a  statue  of  Our  Lady  with  the  Child 
(1585),  the  patroness  of  the  city,  flanked  by 
allegorical  figures  of  Wisdom  and  Justice. 

The  interior  has  been  modernized :  but  it 
contains  one  fine  hall,  the  Salle  Leys,  decorated 
with  noble  archaistic  paintings  by  Baron  Leys. 
It  may  be  visited  before  nine,  or  after  four  in 
the  evening  (one  franc  to  the  concierge).  In 
the  Burgomaster's  Room  is  also  a  good 
Renaissance  chimneypiece,  from  the  Abbey  of 
Tongerloo,  with  reliefs  of  the  Marriage  at 
Cana,  the  Brazen  Serpent,  and  Abraham's  Sac- 
rifice. 

The  square  contains  a  few  Guild  Houses 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  the  best  of  which 
is  the  Hall  of  the  Archers,  to  the  right  of  the 
H6tel-de-Ville,  a  handsome  and  conspicuous 
building,  lately  surmounted  by  a  gilt  figure 
of  St.  George  slaying  the  Dragon,  in  honour 
of  the  patron  saint  of  the  Archers.  The  older 
Guild  Houses,  however,  were  mostly  destroyed 
by  the  Spaniards.  The  square,  as  it  stands, 
being  Renaissance  or  modern,  cannot  compare 


The  Town  of  Antwerp        399 

with  the  Grand'  Place  in  most  other  Belgian 
cities. 

The  centre  of  the  Place  is  occupied  by  a 
bronze  fountain,  with  a  statue  of  Silvius  Brabo, 
a  mythical  hero  of  mediaeval  invention,  in- 
tended to  account  for  the  name  Brabant. 
He  is  said  to  have  cut  off  the  hand  of  the 
giant  Antigonus,  who  exacted  a  toll  from  all 
vessels  entering  the  Schelde,  under  penalty  of 
cutting  off  the  hand  of  the  skipper,  —  a  myth 
equally  suggested  by  a  false  etymology  of  Ant- 
werp from  Hand  Werpen  (Hand  throwing). 
The  Hand  of  Antwerp,  indeed,  forms  part  of 
the  city  arms,  and  will  meet  you  on  the  lamp- 
posts and  elsewhere.  It  is,  however,  the  ordi- 
nary Hand  of  Authority  (Main  de  Justice),  or 
of  good  luck,  so  common  in  the  East,  and 
recurring  all  over  Europe,  as  on  the  shields 
of  our  own  baronets.  Such  a  hand,  as  an 
emblem  of  authority,  was  erected  over  the  gate 
of  many  mediaeval  Teutonic  cities. 

One  of  the  objects  best  worth  visiting  in 
Antwerp,  after  the  Cathedral  and  the  Picture- 
Gallery,  is  the  Plantin-Moretus  Museum,  con- 
taining many  memorials  of  a  famous  family 
of    Renaissance    printers,    whose    monuments 


400  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

we  have  already  seen  in  the  Cathedral.  To 
reach  it  you  turn  from  the  Place  Verte  into 
the  Rue  des  Peignes,  almost  opposite  the  south 
door  of  the  Cathedral.  The  second  turning  to 
the  right  will  lead  you  into  the  small  Place  du 
Vendredi,  the  most  conspicuous  building  in 
which  is  the  Museum. 

Beyond  advising  a  visit,  it  is  difficult  to  say 
much  about  this  interesting  old  house  and  its 
contents.  Those  who  are  lovers  of  typography 
or  of  old  engravings  will  find  enough  in  it 
to  occupy  them  for  more  than  one  morning. 
Such  had  better  buy  the  admirable  work,  "  Le 
Musee  Plantin-Moretus,"  by  M.  Max  Rooses, 
the  conservator.  On  the  other  hand,  the  gen- 
eral sightseer  will  at  least  be  pleased  with  the 
picturesque  courtyard,  draped  in  summer  by 
the  mantling  foliage  and  abundant  clusters  of 
a  magnificent  old  vine,  as  well  as  with  the 
spacious  rooms,  the  carved  oak  doorways,  bal- 
ustrades, and  staircases,  the  delicious  galleries, 
the  tiles  and  fireplaces,  and  the  many  admirable 
portraits  by  Rubens  or  others.  Were  it  merely 
as  a  striking  example  of  a  Flemish  domestic 
interior  of  the  upper  class  during  the  Spanish 


The  Town  of  Antwerp         401 

period,  this  Museum  would  well  deserve  atten- 
tion. Read  the  following  notes  before  starting. 
The  house  of  Plantin  was  established  by 
Christopher  Plantin  of  Tours  (born  15 14), 
who  came  to  Antwerp  in  1549,  and  established 
himself  as  a  printer  in  1555.  He  was  made 
Archetypographer  to  the  King  by  Philip  II., 
and  the  business  was  carried  on  in  this  building 
by  himself,  his  son-in-law,  Moretus,  and  his 
descendants,  from  1579  till  1875.  It  was 
Plantin's  daughter,  Martina,  who  married 
John  Moretus  (see  the  Cathedral),  and  under 
the  name  of  Plantin-Moretus  the  business  was 
continued  through  many  generations  to  our 
own  day.  The  firm  were  essentially  learned 
printers,  setting  up  works  in  Latin,  Greek,  and 
Hebrew,  or  even  in  Oriental  types,  and  issu- 
ing editions  of  many  important  classical 
authors.  I  will  not  describe  the  various  rooms, 
about  which  the  reader  can  wander  for  himself 
at  his  own  sweet  will,  but  will  merely  mention 
that  they  contain  admirable  portraits  of  the 
Plantin  and  Moretus  families,  and  of  their  fa- 
mous editor,  Justus  Lipsius,  by  Rubens,  and 
others.  (The  Lipsius  is  particularly  inter- 
esting for  comparison  with  the  one  at  Florence 


402  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

in  the  Pitti.)  The  dwelling- rooms  and  recep- 
tion-rooms of  the  family,  with  their  fine  early 
furniture,  are  now  open  to  the  visitor.  So  is 
the  quaint  little  shop,  facing  the  street,  the 
composing-room  and  proof-readers'  room,  the 
study  occupied  by  Lipsius,  and  the  library, 
with  examples  of  many  o-f  the  books  printed  by 
the  firm.  The  original  blocks  of  their  wood- 
cuts and  of  their  capital  letters,  with  the  plates 
of  their  engravings,  are  likewise  shown,  to- 
gether with  old  and  modern  impressions.  Do 
not  suppose  from  this,  however,  that  the  place 
is  only  interesting  to  book-hunters  or  lovers 
of  engravings.  The  pictures  and  decorations 
alone,  —  nay,  the  house  itself,  —  will  amply 
repay  a  visit. 

A  walk  should  be  taken  from  the  Place 
Verte,  by  the  Vieux  Marche  au  Ble,  or  through 
the  Marche  aux  Gants,  to  the  river-front  and 
Port  of  the  Schelde.  (Follow  the  tram-line.) 
Here  two  handsome  raised  promenoirs  or  es- 
planades, open  to  the  public,  afiford  an  excellent 
*  view  over  the  river,  the  old  town,  and  the 
shipping  in  the  harbour. 

The  southernmost  (and  pleasantest)  of  these 
promenoirs  ends  near  the  Porte  de  I'Escaut,  a 


The  Town  of  Antwerp        403 

somewhat  insignificant  gateway,  designed  by 
Rubens,  and  adorned  with  feeble  sculpture  by 
Arthus  Quellin.  It  stood  originally  a  little 
lower  down  the  river,  but  has  been  removed, 
stone  by  stone,  to  its  present  situation.  The 
quaint  red  building,  with  hexagonal  turrets 
at  the  angles,  visible  from  both  esplanades,  is 
the  Vieille  Boucherie,  or  Butchers'  Guild  Hall, 
of  1503.  It  stands  in  a  squalid  quarter,  but 
was  once  a  fine  edifice.  Near  the  north  end  of 
this  promenoir,  a  ferry-boat  runs  at  frequent 
intervals  to  the  Tete-de-Flandre  on  the  opposite 
shore  of  the  river.  Here  there  is  a  Kursaal 
and  a  strong  fort.  It  is  worth  while  crossing 
on  a  fine  day  in  order  to  gain  a  general  view 
of  the  quays  and  the  town.  The  northernmost 
promenoir  is  approached  by  an  archway  under 
the  castellated  building  known  as  the  Steen. 
This  is  a  portion  of  the  old  Castle  of  Ant- 
werp, originally  belonging  to  the  Margraves 
and  the  Dukes  of  Brabant,  but  made  over  by 
Charles  V.  to  the  burghers  of  Antwerp.  The 
Inquisition  held  its  sittings  in  this  castle.  It 
is  now,  though  much  restored  and  quite  mod- 
ern-looking (except  the  portal),  almost  the  only 
remaining  relic  of  Mediaeval  Antwerp,  outside 


404  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

the  Cathedral.  It  contains  a  small  Museum 
of  Antiquities  (unimportant;  open  daily,  ten 
to  four:  one  franc:  Sunday  and  Thursday 
free).  Unless  you  have  plenty  of  time  you 
need  not  visit  it. 

A  little  way  beyond  the  north  end  of  the 
northern  promenoir  a  tangled  street  leads  to 
the  Church  of  St.  Paul,  which  will  be  described 
hereafter.  Continuing  along  the  Quays  in  this 
direction  you  arrive  at  last  at  the  Docks.  The 
large  modern  castellated  building  in  front  of 
you  is  the  Pilotage,  round  which  sea-cap- 
tains congregate  in  clusters.  Turning  along 
the  dirty  quay  to  the  right,  you  reach  shortly 
on  the  left  the  site  of  the  Maison  Hanseatique, 
which  was  the  entrepot  in  Antwerp  of  the 
Hanseatic  League.  But  it  was  burnt  down  a 
few  years  since,  and  its  place  is  now  occupied 
by  mean  sheds  and  warehouses.  All  this 
quarter  is  given  over  to  the  most  unsightly  and 
malodorous  realities  of  modern  seafaring  life 
and  commerce. 

Antwerp  is  somewhat  ill  provided  with 
drives  or  country  walks.  The  prettiest  of  its 
public  gardens  is  the  little  Park,  which  may 
be  reached  from  the  Avenue  des  Arts  by  either 


The  Town  of  Antwerp        405 

of  the  three  main  Avenues  eastward,  adorned 
respectively  with  statues  of  Quentin  Matsys, 
Leys,  and  Jordaens.  The  Park  is  a  small  but 
ingeniously  laid  out  triangular  area,  occupy- 
ing the  site  of  an  old  bastion,  with  a  pleasing 
sheet  of  ornamental  water  (originally  the 
moat),  crossed  by  a  bridge,  and  backed  up  by 
the  twin  spires  of  the  modern  Church  of  St. 
Joseph.  Around  it  lies  the  chief  residential 
quarter  of  nineteenth  century  Antwerp.  This 
is  a  cool  stroll  in  the  afternoon,  for  one  tired 
of  sightseeing.  (Ask  your  hotel  porter  when 
and  where  the  band  plays  daily.)  Further  on 
in  the  same  direction  is  the  pretty  little  public 
garden  known  as  the  Pepiniere,  and  lying  in 
a  pleasant  open  quarter.  A  band  plays  here 
also. 

The  Zoological  Garden,  just  behind  the 
Gare  de  I'Est  (admission  one  franc),  is  well 
worth  a  visit  if  you  are  making  a  stay.  It  is 
particularly  well  stocked  with  birds  and  ani- 
mals, and  has  a  rather  pretty  alpine  rock- 
garden.  On  Sunday  afternoons,  a  good  band 
plays  here  from  three  to  six,  and  all  Antwerp 
goes  to  listen  to  it. 

A  round  of  the  Avenues  may  best  be  made 


4o6  Belgium :  Its   Cities 

in  an  open  tram.  The  northern  portion,  leading 
from  the  Entrepot  and  the  Goods  Station  as 
far  as  the  Place  de  la  Commune,  has  few  ob- 
jects of  interest.  In  the  Place  de  la  Commune 
you  pass,  on  the  right,  the  handsome  and  ornate 
Flemish  Theatre;  while,  on  the  left,  the  Rue 
Camot  leads  to  the  Zoological  Garden,  and  to 
the  uninteresting  industrial  suburb  of  Borger- 
hout.  Beyond  this  comes  a  Covered  Market,  on 
the  left,  and  then  the  Place  Teniers,  with  a 
statue  of  Teniers.  Here  the  Avenue  de  Ke}ser 
leads  to  the  main  Railway  Station  (Gare  de 
I'Est) .  Further  on,  the  Avenue  Marie-Therese, 
with  a  statue  of  Matsys,  runs  to  the  Park.  So,  a 
little  later,  do  the  Avenue  Louise-Marie,  with 
a  statue  of  Leys,  and  the  Avenue  Marie-Hen- 
riette,  with  a  statue  of  Jordaens.  The  hand- 
some building,  with  domed  and  rounded  tur- 
rets, on  your  right,  just  beyond  the  last-named 
Avenue,  is  the  Banque  Nationale,  intended  to 
contain  the  public  treasure  of  Belgium  in  case 
of  war.  Here  the  Chaussee  de  Malines  leads 
ofif,  southeasterly,  to  the  uninteresting  suburb 
of  Berchem.  The  heavy  new  building  on  the 
left,  a  little  further  south,  looking  like  a  French 
mediaeval   chateau,   is   the   Palais   de  Justice. 


The  Town  of  Antwerp        407 

From  this  point  the  Avenue  du  Sud  runs 
through  an  unfinished  district,  occupying  the 
site  of  the  old  Citadel  (Alva's)  past  the 
Museum  and  the  Palais  de  1'  Industrie,  to  the 
desolate  Place  du  Sud,  with  the  South  Rail- 
way Station.  You  can  return  by  tram  along 
the  Quays  to  the  H6tel-de-Ville  and  the 
Cathedral. 

If  you  have  plenty  of  time  to  spare,  you  may 
devote  a  day  to  the  Rococo  Churches.  Most  of 
the  Antwerp  churches,  other  than  the  Cathe- 
dral, are  late  Gothic  or  Renaissance  buildings, 
disfigured  by  all  the  flyaway  marble  deco- 
rations so  strangely  admired  during  the  seven- 
teenth and  eighteenth  centuries.  Few  of  them 
deserve  a  visit,  save  for  a  picture  or  two  of 
Rubens  still  preserved  on  their  altars.  There 
are  one  or  two,  however,  usually  gone  through 
by  tourists,  and  of  these  I  shall  give  some  brief 
account,  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  care  for 
such  things,  though  I  do  not  think  you  need 
trouble  about  them,  unless  you  have  plenty 
of  time,  and  are  specially  attracted  by  the 
later  School  of  Antwerp. 

The  most  important  of  these  rococo 
churches   is   St.   Jacques,   the  principal   door- 


4o8  Belgium  :   Its  Cities 

way  of  which  opens  into  the  Longue  Rue 
Neuve.  The  pleasantest  way  to  reach  it,  how- 
ever, is  to  go  from  the  Place  Verte  through 
the  Marche  aux  SouHers,  following  the  tram- 
way to  the  Place  de  Meir.  This  broad  street 
(one  of  the  few  open  ones  in  Antwerp),  lined 
by  baroque  Renaissance  mansions  of  some  pre- 
tensions, has  been  formed  by  filling  up  an  old 
canal.  The  most  imposing  building  on  the 
right,  marked  by  two  angels  holding  an  oval 
with  the  letter  L  (the  king's  initial),  is  the 
Royal  Palace.  A  little  further  on,  upon  the 
same  side  of  the  street,  is  the  House  of 
Rubens's  Parents,  with  his  bust  above,  and 
an  inscription  on  its  pediment  signifying  the 
fact  in  the  Latin  tongue.  To  reach  St.  Jacques 
you  need  not  go  quite  as  far  down  the  street 
as  these  two  buildings.  Turn  to  your  left  at 
the  Bourse,  a  handsome  modern  edifice,  stand- 
ing at  the  end  of  what  looks  like  a  blind  alley. 
The  road  runs  through  it,  and  it  is  practically 
used  as  a  public  thoroughfare.  The  building 
itself  is  recent — 1869 — 72  —  but  it  occupies 
the  site  of  a  late-Gothic  Exchange  of  1531, 
erected  by  Dominic  van  Waghemakere.  The 
present  Bourse  resembles  its  predecessor  some- 


HOUSE    OK    RUBENS'S    PARENTS,    ANTWERP. 


The  Town  of  Antwerp        409 

what  in  style,  but  is  much  larger,  has  an  in- 
congruous Moorish  tinge,  and  is  provided 
with  a  nondescript  glass-and-iron  roof.  Turn 
to  the  right  at  the  end  of  the  lane,  and  continue 
down  the  Longue  Rue  Neuve,  which  leads  you 
toward  St.  Jacques,  a  late-Gothic  church,  never 
quite  completed.  The  entrance  is  not  by  the 
JQ'Qade,  but  on  the  south  side,  in  the  Longue 
Rue  Neuve.  (Visitors  admitted  from  noon 
till  four  in  the  afternoon,  one  franc  per  person. 
Knock  at  the  door,  and  the  sacristan  will  open.) 

The  interior  is  of  good  late-Gothic  architec- 
ture, terribly  over-loaded  with  Renaissance 
tombs  and  sprawling  baroque  marble  deco- 
rations. The  church  was  used  as  the  Pantheon 
(or  Westminster  Abbey)  for  burials  of  dis- 
tinguished Antwerp  families  under  the  Spanish 
domination;  and  they  have  left  in  every  part 
of  it  their  ugly  and  tasteless  memorials. 

Begin  in  the  south  aisle. 

First  chapel.  Van  Dyck :  St.  George  and 
the  Dragon :  mediocre.  Above,  statue  of  St. 
George,  to  whom  angels  offer  crowns  of  mar- 
tyrdom. Good  modem  marble  reliefs  of 
Scenes  from  the  Passion,  continued  in  subse- 
quent chapels. 


410  Belgium :  Its  Cities 

At  the  end,  Baptistery,  with  good  font. 

Second  chapel,  of  St.  Anthony.  Tempta- 
tion of  St.  Anthony,  by  M.  De  Vos.  ItaHan 
seventeenth  century  Madonna. 

Third  chapel,  of  St.  Roch,  the  great  plague- 
saint.  It  contains  an  altar-piece  by  E.  Quellin, 
angels  tending  St.  Roch  when  stricken  with 
the  plague.  Above,  the  saint  with  his  staff 
and  gourd,  in  marble,  accompanied  by  the 
angel  who  visited  him  in  the  desert.  On  the 
window  wall,  relics  of  St.  Roch,  patron  against 
the  plague.  Round  this  chapel  and  the  succeed- 
ing ones  are  a  series  of  pictures  from  the  Life 
of  St.  Roch,  by  an  unknown  Flemish  master, 
dated  15 17.  They  represent  St.  Roch  in 
prison;  relieved  by  the  dog;  resting  in  the 
forest;  visited  by  the  angel;  etc.  (See  Mrs. 
Jameson.)  A  tomb  here  has  a  good  Virgin 
and  Child. 

Fourth  chapel.  Fine  old  tomb;  also,  con- 
tinuation of  the  History  of  St.  Roch. 

Fifth  chapel.  More  History  of  St.  Roch. 
On  the  wall,  relics  of  St.  Catherine,  who 
stands  on  the  altar-piece  with  her  sword  and 
wheel;  balanced,  as  usual,  by  St.  Barbara. 
The  chapel  is  dedicated  to  St.  Anna,  who  is 


INTERIOR    OF    ST.    JACQUES,    ANTWERP. 


The  Town  of  Antwerp         411 

seen  above  the  altar,  with  Our  Lady  and  the 
Infant. 

Sixth  chapel.  Baptism  of  Christ,  by  Michael 
Coxcie,  on  the  altar.  Window  wall,  M.  De 
Vos:  Triptych:  Centre,  Martyrdom  of  St. 
James;  left,  the  daughter  of  the  Canaanite; 
right,  the  daughter  of  Jairus.  (The  wings 
are  by  Francken.) 

The  south  transept  has  Renaissance  figures 
of  the  Apostles  (continued  in  the  north  tran- 
sept). 

The  choir  is  separated  from  the  nave  and 
transepts  by  an  ugly  Renaissance  rood-screen. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Host,  in  the  south  tran- 
sept, is  full  of  twisting  and  twirling  Renais- 
sance marble-work,  well  seconded  by  equally 
obtrusive  modern  works  in  the  same  spirit. 

The  ambulatory  has  a  marble  screen,  sepa- 
rating it  from  the  choir^  in  the  worst  taste  of 
the  Renaissance,  with  many  rococo  tombs 
and  sculptures  of  that  period  plastered  against 
it. 

First  chapel,  of  the  Trinity,  has  a  Holy 
Trinity  for  altar-piece,  by  Van  Balen. 

The  door  to  the  left  gives  access  to  the 


412  Belgium  :   Its   Cities 

choir,  with  an  atrocious  sculptured  High  Altar, 
and  carved  choir-stalls. 

Second  and  third  chapels,  uninteresting. 

The  end  chapel,  behind  the  High  Altar,  is 
the  burial-chapel  of  the  Rubens  family.  The 
altar-piece,  painted  by  Rubens  for  his  family 
chapel,  represents  the  Madonna  and  Child 
adored  by  St.  Bonaventura;  close  by  stands 
the  Magdalen;  to  the  left  a  hurrying  St. 
George  (reminiscent  of  the  St.  Sebastian  by 
Veronese  at  Venice),  and  to  the  right,  a  very 
brown  St.  Jerome.  The  calm  of  the  central 
picture,  with  its  group  of  women,  is  interfered 
with  by  these  two  incongruous  male  figures. 
It  is  like  parts  of  two  compositions,  joined 
meaninglessly  together.  Above  are  infant 
cherubs  scattering  flowers.  One  would  say, 
Rubens  had  here  thrown  together  a  number 
of  separate  studies  for  which  he  had  no  par- 
ticular use  elsewhere.  But  the  colour  is  most 
mellow. 

Fifth  chapel,  of  St.  Carlo  Borromeo  (who 
practically  replaced  St.  Roch  in  later  cosmo- 
politan Catholicism  as  the  chief  plague-saint). 
The  altar-piece,  by  Jordaens,  represents  the 
saint  invoking  the  protection   of   Christ  and 


RUBENS. MADONNA    AND    CHILD. 


The  Town  of  Antwerp         413 

Our  Lady  for  the  plague-stricken  in  the  fore- 
ground.    Painted  for  the  town  almoner. 

Sixth  chapel.     Three  good  portraits. 

Seventh  chapel.  Visitation,  by  Victor  Wolf- 
voet. 

The  north  transept  has  the  continuation  of 
the  Twelve  Apostles,  with  two  of  the  four 
Latin  Fathers  by  the  portal  (the  other  two 
being  at  the  opposite  doorway).  The  chapel 
(of  Our  Lady)  resembles  that  in  the  south 
transept,  and  is  equally  terrible. 

North  aisle:  The  second  chapel  has  a  fine 
triptych  by  M.  De  Vos,  of  the  Glory  of  Our 
Lady.  Centre,  the  Court  of  Heaven,  where 
the  prominent  position  of  Our  Lady  is  unusual, 
and  marks  an  advanced  phase  of  her  cult.  In 
the  assemblage  of  saints  below,  St.  Peter,  St. 
John  the  Baptist,  and  many  others,  may  be 
recognized  by  their  symbols.  The  left  wing 
has  the  Calling  of  Matthew;  the  right  wing, 
St.  Hubert,  with  the  apparition  of  the  cru- 
cifix between  the  horns  of  the  stag.  Beneath 
are  good  portraits  of  donors.  The  fine  stained 
glass  window  of  this  chapel  is  noteworthy.  It 
represents  the  Last  Supper,  with  donors 
(1538). 


414  Belgium  :  Its  Cities 

The  third  chapel,  of  the  Rockox  family,  has 
a  good  triptych,  by  Van  Orley,  of  the  Last 
Judgment.  On  the  wings  are  portraits  of  the 
donor  and  family.  Left  wing,  Adrian  Rockox 
and  sonSj  with  his  patron,  St.  Adrian  (sword, 
anvil).  Right  wing,  his  wife,  Catherine,  with 
her  daughters,  and  her  patroness,  St.  Cath- 
erine. 

Fourth  chapel.  Grood  triptych  by  Balen. 
Centre,  Adoration  of  the  Magi ;  right  and 
left,  Annunciation  and  Visitation.  On  a  tomb 
opposite,  good  portraits  by  Ryckaert, 

Fifth  chapel.  Triptych,  by  M.  De  Vos: 
Presentation  of  Our  Lady  in  the  Temple.  Left, 
The  Pagans  attempt  in  vain  to  burn  the  body 
of  St.  Mark;   rights  Martyrdom  of  St.  Lucy. 

Another  church  frequently  visited  by  tour- 
ists is  St.  Paul,  formerly  belonging  to  a  Domin- 
ican Monastery  by  its  side,  and  situated  in  a 
dirty  and  malodorous  district.  Do  not  at- 
tempt to  go  to  it  direct.  Reach  it  by  the 
Quays,  turning  to  the  right  near  the  end  of 
the  Northern  Promenoir.  Over  the  outer 
doorway  of  the  court  is  a  rococo  relief  of  St. 
Dominic  receiving  the  rosary  from  Our  Lady. 
To  the  right,  as  you  enter,  is  an  astonishing 


The  Town  of  Antwerp        415 

and  tawdry  Calvary,  built  up  with  rock  and 
slag  against  the  wall  of  the  transept.  It  has, 
above,  a  Crucifixion ;  below,  Entombment  and 
Holy  Sepulchre.  All  round  are  subsidiary 
scenes:  St.  Peter,  with  the  crowing  cock; 
Christ  and  the  Magdalen  in  the  Garden; 
Angels  to  lead  the  way,  etc.  The  church  itself 
is  an  imposing  late-Gothic  building,  uglified 
by  unspeakable  rococo  additions.  (Admission, 
from  twelve  till  four.  Knock  at  the  door: 
one  franc  per  person.  But  unless  you  are  a 
great  admirer  of  Rubens,  the  sum  is  ill-be- 
stowed for  seeing  one  or  two  of  his  less  im- 
portant pictures.)  In  the  north  transept  is 
Rubens's  *  Scourging  of  Christ,  covered :  the 
only  thing  here  really  worth  seeing.  In  the 
north  aisle,  one  of  his  weakest  Adorations  of 
the  Magi.  On  the  altar  of  the  Sacrament, 
a  so-called  "  Dispute  on  the  Sacrament,"  by 
Rubens:  really,  the  Fathers  and  Doctors  of 
the  Church,  especially  the  Dominicans,  rep- 
resented by  St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  in  devout 
contemplation  of  the  Mystery  of  the  Eucha- 
rist. The  other  pictures  in  the  church  are  rela- 
tively uninteresting  works  of  the  School  of 


4i6  Belgium:   Its   Cities 

Rubens ;  the  best  is  a  Way  to  Calvary,  by  Van 
Dyck. 

If  you  want  more  Rubenses,  you  will  find 
a  Madonna,  with  a  great  group  of  Augustinian 
and  primitive  saints,  in  the  Church  of  St.  Au- 
gustine (Rue  des  Peignes),  where  there  is  also 
a  good  Ecstasy  of  St.  Augustine,  by  Van  Dyck ; 
and  in  the  Church  of  St.  Anthony  of  Padua 
(Marche  aux  Chevaux),  a  picture,  partly  by 
Rubens,  representing  St.  Anthony  receiving 
the  Child  Jesus  from  the  hands  of  the  Virgin : 
but  I  do  not  recommend  either  excursion. 

Antwerp  is  strongly  fortified,  and  a  moat, 
filled  with  water,  runs  round  its  existing  en- 
ceinte. The  Old  Citadel  to  the  south  has  been 
demolished  (its  site  being  now  occupied  by 
the  Museum  and  the  unfinished  quarter  in  that 
direction),  and  a  New  Citadel  erected  in  the 
north.  The  defensive  works  are  among  the 
finest  in  Europe. 

If  you  are  returning  to  England,  via  Calais, 
stop  on  the  way  to  see  the  noble  Romanesque 
and  Transitional  Cathedral  at  Tournay,  You 
can. easily  do  this  without  loss  of  time  by  tak- 


The  Town  of  Antwerp        4^7 

ing  the  first  boat  train  from  Brussels  in  the 
morning,  stopping  an  hour  or  two  at  Tournay 
(break  permitted  with  through  tickets),  and 
going  on  by  the  second  train.  You  can  regis- 
ter your  luggage  through  to  London,  and  have 
no  more  bother  with  it.  You  will  then  have 
seen  everything  of  the  first  importance  in 
Belgium,  except  Ypres.  And  Ypres  is  so  in- 
accessible that  I  advise  you  to  neglect  it. 

If  you  wish  to  see  whither  Flemish  art  went, 
you  must  go  on  to  Holland.  But  if  you  wish 
to  know  whence  Flemish  art  came,  you  must 
visit  the  Rhine  Towns. 


THE   END. 


INDEX. 


Academic     des     Beaux-Arts, 

Bruges,  121-132. 
Aertsen,  244-245. 
Albani,  267. 
Alva,  35,  38,  39,  152. 
Ancienne  Cour,  Brussels,  103. 
Ancien    Greffe,    Bruges    (see 

Place  du  Bourg). 
Angelo,    Michael,    1 13-114. 
Antwerp, 29, 40, 194,  209,  217, 

286,  317-417- 
Antwerpen   (see  Antwerp). 
An  vers  (see  Antwerp). 
Apse  of  St.  Michael,  147-148. 

Backhuysen,  265. 

Bastile  of  Brussels  (see  Porte 

de  Hal). 
Bateliers,  Maison  des,  Ghent 

(see    Guild    House   of    the 

Skipjjers). 
Beaugrant,  Guyot  de,  68,  69. 
Beaux-Arts,    Acad6mie    des, 

Bruges  (see  Acadentie  des 

Beaux-Arts). 
Belfry,  The  (Ghent),  141,  143, 

US,  179- 
Belgian  School,  The  Modem 


(see  Modem  Picture  Gal- 
lery, The). 

Belliard,  Statue  of,  107. 

Bethune,  Jean,  103, 

Biset,  Emanuel,  80. 

Bles,  Herrimet,  114-115,  248, 
356. 

Blondeel,  Lancelot,  66,    117, 

130,  243- 
Boeyermans,  390. 
Bois  de  la  Cambre,  Brussels, 

293-294. 
Bol,  260,  261,  262,  266. 
Bosch,  J.,  243,  247,  355. 
Botanical  Gardens,  Brussels, 

290. 
Botanical     Gardens,     Ghent, 

179. 
Both,  J.  and  A.,  394. 
Bouts,  Dierick,  75,  106,  209, 

227-230,     234,     23s,    304, 

313-315,  358,  363- 
Brekelenkamp,    261-262. 
Bril,  358. 
Breughel,  P.,  the  Elder,  243- 

244. 
Breughel,    P.,    the   Younger, 

243,  381- 


419 


420 


Index. 


Bruges,  13  et  seq.,  19,  45,  99- 
132,  193-195,  208,  228, 
30o>  317,  319,  320,  352, 
397- 

Brussels,  21,  29,  37,  41,  46, 
193-316,  320,  397. 

Campin,    Robert,    of    Tour- 
nay,  359. 
Carondolet,  Archbishop,  106. 
Cathedral,  of  Antwerp,  320, 

324,    326-340,    373,    399- 

402. 
Cathedral,  of  Brussels,    196, 

270-283. 
Catiiedral,    of    Ghent,     141, 

155-178,   180. 
Cathedral,  of  Malines,  316. 
Cathedral    of    St.    Donatian 

(see  St.  Donatian). 
Cathedral     of     St.     Sauveur 

(see  St.  Salvator,  Cathedral 

of). 
Caxton,  52. 
Chapelle       de       I'Expiation 

(Stolen    Hosts),    Brussels, 

294-295. 
Charles  V.,   21,  32,  69,   138, 

153,    182,      191-193,    221, 

277-279,     282,     291,    300, 

319- 

Charles  the  Bdd,  28,  31  et 
seq. 

Charles  of  Lorraine,  201. 

Chaussee  de  Louvain,  Brus- 
sels,  293. 

Claeissens,  iii. 

Clouet,  378. 

Cocx,  377. 

CoUacie-Zolder  (see  Munic- 
ipal Council  Room, 
Ghent). 


Coninxloo,    Jan,    235,     237- 

238,  245-246. 
Conservatoire    de    Musique, 

Brussels,  287. 
Coxcie,    Michael,    162,    163, 

168,    169,    278,    279,    368, 

369,  411. 

Coxcie,  The  Younger,  370. 

Coxcie,  R.,  188. 

Cranach,  The  Elder,  236,  241, 

350.  352. 
Crivelli,  Carlo,  267,  268. 
Cuyp,  Albert,  260,  262. 

D'Arthois,  J.,  258. 

David,  Gerard,  64,   75,   113, 

120,    125,    128,    129,    131, 

228,  232,  342. 
De  Backer,  337. 
De  BiSfve,  Edouard,  286. 
De  Bruyn,  225. 
De     Champaigne,     Philippe, 

252,   258. 
De    Crayer,    115,    186,    189, 

190,     249,     252-254,     258, 

259,  387- 
De  Heem,  260,  261. 
De  Keyser,  N.,  263,  348. 
Delia    Robbia    (see    Robbia, 

Luca  Delia). 
Devigne,  55. 
De  Vos,   C,    187,   254,  378, 

381,  385,  389- 
De  Vos,  M.,  247,  331,  368- 

370,  375-376,  413,  414. 
De  Vos,  Martin,  the  Elder, 

368. 
De  Vos,  Paul,  255. 
De  Vos,  S.,  378. 
De  Voys,  A.,  263. 
De  Witte,  264. 
Dietrich,   262. 


Index, 


421 


Dou,  Gerard,  262. 

Du  Chatel,  251. 

Du  Jardin,  Karel,  261,  262. 

392- 
Dunwege,  355,  356. 
Duquesnoy,  178. 
Durer,.Albert,  350,  358. 
Dusart,  261. 
Dyver,  The  (Bruges),  49,  52, 

54- 

Eglise  du  Sablon  (see  N6tre 
Dame  des  Victoires,  Church 
of). 

Engelbrechtsen,  St.  Hubert, 
362. 

Ethnographical  Museum, 
Brussels  (see  Porte  de 
Hal). 

Exhibition  Grounds,  Brus- 
sels, 293. 

Floris,  Frans,  374,  376. 

Fouquet,  175,  357. 

Fox,  House  of  the  (see  Grand' 

Place,    Brussels). 
Francken,  Ambrose,  339,  340, 

374,  375,  381. 
Fyol,  354- 
Fyt,  J.,  250,  385. 

Gallait,  Louis,  286. 

Ghent,  13,  19,  26,  34  et  seq., 
46,  133-195,  208,  212,  213, 
226,  267,  300,  317, 319, 320, 

397- 
Giotto,  363. 
Gossaert,  353,  355,  356,  366, 

374- 
Gossaert,  J.,  183,  215. 
Grand      B6guinage,      Ghent, 

190-191. 


Grande  Boucherie,  Ghent  (see 

Marche  aux  Herbes). 
Grand'  Place,  Antwerp,  396- 

403- 
Grand'  Place,  Bruges,  49,  52, 

56-59- 
Grand'  Place,  Brussels,  194- 

195,  197-203,  272. 
Grand'  Place,  Louvain,  306- 

309- 
Gruuthuus,  Van  der,  108. 
Guimard,  288. 
Gysels,  381. 

Hague,  The,  264. 

Hals,  Frans,  46,  264,  265,  393, 

394. 
Halles     Centrales,     Brussels, 

205. 
Heemskerck,  232. 
Heraling  (see  Memling). 
Hendrick,  330. 
Herreyns,  251. 
High    Church    of    Our   Lady 

(see     Cathedral,     The,     of 

Antwerp). 
Hobbema,  250,  265,  393. 
Holbein,  Hans,  the  Younger, 

220,  253,  257. 
Holy    Sudarium,    ss3,    334- 
Hondekoeter,    189,    264-266, 

393- 
H6pital  de  St.  Jean,  Bruges 

(see  St.  John,  Hospital  of). 
Hotel  Bellevue,  Brussels,  288. 
Hotel     des     Brasseurs     (see 

Grand'  Place,  Brussels). 
Hotel  de  Ville,  Antwerp,  328, 

397-398. 
H6tel  de  Ville,  Bruges,  60-61. 
H6tel  de  Ville,  Brussels,  194, 

198-201,  283. 


422 


Index. 


H6tel  de  Ville,  Ghent,   143- 

145.  179- 
H6tel  de  Ville,  Louvain,  305, 
307-309. 

Janssens,  160,  255. 

Jewish   Synagogue,   Brussels, 

287. 
Joest,  J.,  242. 
Jordaens,  249-251,  379,  380, 

389,  405,  412. 

King's  Palace,  Brussels,  288, 
301. 

Lace,  Museum  of,  108. 

Laeken,  303. 

Lambert,  Lombard  (see  Sus- 

terman). 
Leerman,  260. 
Leys,  394-395,  405- 
Liemakere,  146. 
Lombard,  236,  237. 
London,     National     Gallery, 

268. 
Louvain,  304-316,  397. 
Lucas,  of  Leyden,  358,  361, 

363,  365-366. 
Luttichuys,    260. 

Mabuse  (see  Gossaert,  J.). 
Maes,     Nicholas,     Portraits, 

260-262,    264. 
Mansion,  Colard,  52,  95. 
Marchd   aux    Grains,   Ghent, 

179. 
March6  aiix  Herbes,  Ghent, 

149-150,  179- 
Marche  du  Vendredi,  Ghent 

(see  Vrydagmarkt). 
Martini,  Simone,  363. 
Matsys,    Quentin,    46,    209- 


210,  239-240,  248,  315,  320, 
328,  342,  351,  354-357, 
360-361,  371-373,  405- 

Maubeuge  (see  Mostart,  Jan). 

Meert,  P.,  253. 

Memlinc    (see    Memling). 

Memling,  Hans,  29,  30,  45, 
52,  74-75,  80-88,  91,  105, 
120,  123,  209,  215,  224, 
230-232,  352,  358,  364- 
365,   371- 

Messina,  Antonello  da,  351- 
352,   358. 

Metsu,  264. 

Miracle  of  the  Hosts  (see 
Cathedral,  The,  of  Brus- 
sels). 

Modem  Picture  Gallery,  The, 
Brussels,   285-286. 

Molyn  the  Elder,  263. 

Moore,  Sir  Anthony,  243,  246, 
248. 

Moretus,  John  (see  Cathe- 
dral, The,  of  Antwerp). 

Mostaert,    Giles,    the    Elder, 

373- 
Mostaert,  Jan,  112-113,  115, 

"7,  353,  355- 

Mostart,   242. 

Municipal  Council  Room 
(Ghent),  151. 

Murillo,  377. 

Mus^e  Plantin-Moretus,  Ant- 
werp,  335,   399-402. 

Musee  Wiertz,  Brussels,  293. 

Museum,  of  Antwerp,  209. 

Museum  of  Painting,  Ghent, 
186-190. 

My  tens,  393. 

Nieuwenhoven,  Martin  Van 
(see  Memling,  Hems). 


Index. 


423 


Notre  Dame  de  la  Chapelle, 

ChiiTch  of,  Brussels,  295-6. 
Notre-Dame    de    St.    Pierre, 

Church  of,  Ghent,   186. 
Notre-Dame,      Church      of, 

Bruges,  108-116. 
Notre    Dame    des  Victoires, 

Church    of    Brussels,    287, 

297,   298. 

Old   Citadel,    Antwerp,    396, 

416. 
Orley,  B.  Van,  116. 

Palais  de  Justice,  Brussels, 
284,   287. 

Palais  de  Justice,  Ghent,  154, 
179. 

Palais  des  Academies,  Brus- 
sels,  291. 

Palais  des  Beaux  Arts  (see 
Picture  Gallery,  The,  of 
Brussels). 

Palais  de  Nidi,  Brussels,  205. 

Palamedes,   263. 

Patinier,  222,  224,  237,  362. 

Patinir  (see  Patinier). 

Fepyn,  335. 

Perugino,   268.- 

Picture  Gallery,  The,  of  Ant- 
werp,  341-395. 

Picture  Gallery,  The,  of 
Brussels,   208-269. 

Place  d'Anneessens,  Brussels, 
205. 

Place  d'Armes,  Ghent,  140- 
147,  IS4,  179,  180. 

Place  de  la  Chapelle,  Brus- 
sels, 295. 

Place  de  la  Commune,  Ant- 
werp, 406. 

Place  de  la  Monnaie,  207. 


Place  des  Martyrs,  Brussels, 

206. 
Place  du  Beguinage,  Brussels, 

205. 
Place  du  Bourg,  Bruges,  52, 

59-73- 
Place  du  Congress,  Brussels, 

289-290. 
Place  du  Petit  Sabloa,  Brus- 
sels,  287. 
Place  du  Tr6ne,  Brussels,  291. 
Place     Fontainas,     Brussels, 

205. 
Place  Rouppe,  Brussels,  205, 

207. 
Place  Royale,  Brussels,   196, 

210,  284-289,  291,  299. 
Place  St.  Gery,  Brussels,  197, 

204. 
Place  St.  Jean,  Brussels,  293. 
Place  Ste.  Pharailde,   Ghent 

(see  Marche  aux  Herbes). 
Place  Teniers,  406. 
Place   Verte,    Antwerp,    324, 

326,  327,  329,  397,  402. 
Porte  de  Hal,  Brussels,  291- 

292. 
Potter,  Paul,  265. 
Pourbus,  F.,  105,  161,  187. 
Pourbus,  Peter,  104,  110-113, 

IIS,  131,  132,  243,  245,342, 

368,  369,  374. 
Pr6vost,  J.,  129-130. 

Qiiellin,  Arthxjs,  102, 150,  237, 
403. 

Rabot  Gate,  The,  Ghent,  180. 
Rembrandt,  46,   265,  392. 
Rheims,    Archbishop   of    (see 

St.    Donatian). 
Rijng,  377. 


424 


Index. 


Robbia,  Luca  Delia,  ii8. 

Rockox  (see  Rubens). 

Romano,   Giulio,   367. 

Rombouts,  160,  189. 

Royal  Museum  and  Library, 
Brussels,  285. 

Rubens,  40,  46,  104,  146,  147, 
156,  160,  176-177,  188- 
190,  210,  217,  249-259, 
267,  320,  321,  327,  331-336, 
339,  347,  377-378,  380,  382- 
390,  393,  401,  403,  412,  415- 
417. 

Ruysdael,  Jacob,  261,  262, 
394- 

Schoreel,  125,  3S4-35S- 
Schut,  380-381. 
Seghers,  115,  377. 
Sienese  School   (see  Martini, 

Simone). 
Snyders,   249,   252,   255,  379. 
Sorel,  Agnes  (see  Fouquet). 
Spurs,  Battle  of  the,  27,  55, 

134- 

Square  Marie-Louise,  Brus- 
sels, 293. 

St.  Bavon,  Monastery  of,  156, 
160,  181-185,  192. 

St.  Catherine,  Church  of, 
Brussels,  205. 

St.  Donatian,  Archbishop  of 
Rheims,  53,  54,  71,  loi, 
107,  120. 

St.  Gudula,  196,  246,  270,  271, 
273,  281. 

St.  Jacques,  Church  of,  Ant- 
werp, 407-414- 

St.  Jacques,  Church  of, 
Bruges,  116-119,  153,  179. 

St.  Jacques  sur  Caudenberg, 
Church  of,  Brussels,  284. 


St.  John,  Hospital  of,  Bruges, 
52,   73,  75-78,  80-83,  98. 

Ste.  Marie  de  Schaerbeck, 
Church  of,  Brussels,  288, 
290,  291. 

St.  Michael,  the  Archangel, 
196,  199,  270,  273. 

St.  Michel,  Church  of,  Ghent, 
147-148,  179,  180. 

St.  Nicholas,  Church  of,  Brus- 
sels, 203,  204. 

St.  Nicholas,  Church  of, 
Ghent,   145-147,   179,   180. 

St.  Paul,  Church  of,  Antwerp, 
404,  414-416. 

St.  Pierre,  Church  of,  Lou- 
vain,  309-316. 

St.  Salvator,  Cathedral  of, 
Bruges,  101-108. 

Steen,  Jan,  262,  264,  266,  393, 

Stolen  Hosts  (see  Miracle  of 
the   Hosts) . 

Susterman,  350. 

Swan,  House  of  the  (see 
Grand'  Place,  Brussels). 

Teniers,  252,  253,  406. 
Teniers  the  Younger,  377. 
Terburg,  392. 
Theodoric,  Count  of  Flanders, 

28,  61-62,  67. 
Tintoretto,  268. 
Titian,  374-375- 
Toumay,  Cathedral  of,  416. 

Universit6  Libre,  The,  of 
Brussels,   295. 

Van  Alsloot,  246,  247. 

Van    Artevelde,    Jacob,     27, 

135-137,  149,  152,  IS3- 
Van  Balen,  411. 


Index. 


425 


Van  Beyeren,  263. 

Van  Bree,  337. 

Van  Cortbemde,  389. 

Van  Delen,  262. 

Van  den  Broeck,  349. 

Van  der  Cap>elle,  265,  393. 

Van  der  Goes,  118,  222-223, 

245- 
Van  der  Heist,  46,  260,  262, 

264,  393- 
Van  der  Meire,  Gerard,  161. 

349-351,  356. 
Van  der  Neer,  263, 
Van  der  Velde,  Jr.,  260,  392, 

393- 
Van  der  Weyden,  Roger,  29, 
74,  113,  209,  215-226,  231- 

232,  3oS»  311-312,  333, 
338.  342,  352,  357,  359- 
360. 

Van  der  Weyer,  Sylvain,  306. 
Van  Diepenbeeck,  253. 
Van   Dyck,    147,    217,    253- 

254,  346,  378-382,  387,  391, 

409,  416. 
Van  Eyck,  Jan,  18,  29,  30,  45, 

52,   7i>    74,    120-123,    131. 

156-158, 162-163,  209, 232- 

233,  342,  352,  358,  361-362. 
Van   Eyck,   Hubert,    18,    2q, 

30,  45,  156-158,  162-168, 
209,  212-213,  218,  226, 342. 

Van  Ghent,  Justus,  358. 

Van  Heemskerk,  187. 


Van  Hemessen,  242,  351. 

Van  Hoeck,  389. 

Van  Huysum,  392. 

Van  Mieris,  W.,  261-392,  393. 

Van  Mol,  377. 

Van    Orley,     Bernard,     209, 

218-219,    237,    238,    246- 

248,    278,    342,    349,    364, 

369-370,  413. 
Van  Ostade,  A.,  262,  393. 
Van  Ostade,  Isaac,   260. 
Van  Ravestein,  Portrait,  260. 
Van  Ruysdael,  S.,  266. 
Van  Thulden,  249,  390. 
Van  Utrecht,  A.,  253. 
Van    Veen,    Otto,    255,    343, 

387-388. 
Vandermeulen,  252. 
Vannuchi,   268. 
Verbruggen,   178. 
Veronese,  Paolo,  268,  367. 
Vinck,  330. 

Volterra,  Daniele  da,  333. 
Vrydagmarkt,    Ghent,     151- 

153,   179- 

Waterloo,  Battlefield  of,  304. 
Weenix,  Jan,   263,   264,  393. 
Wouwerman,  260,  262. 
Wynants,  263,  392. 

Zeghers,  189. 

Zoological  Garden,  Antwerp, 
405. 


5^  ^uiTPN  REGIONAL  UBRARY  FAOLfry 


A     000  596  578     5 


